Lines In The Sand

Lines in the Sand


You’ve undoubtedly heard the metaphor “Don’t cross the line in the sand” or in my case on the North Shore of Lake Superior “Don’t cross the line in the beach rocks”…never was this truer than the hallways of Cook County High. CCHS was not unique as I am sure all small town high schools have their social lines that for whatever the reason, are never crossed…though these lines are not visible to the naked eye, I am sure we’ve all had our days when we wish they were. It would make life easier in some ways if we just knew who wanted to be friends and who could care less. As student council president and senior class vice president I tried to avoid having any lines drawn around me that would make anyone feel unwelcome or at odds. (A true politician with an open door policy –haha) It was always nice when I would find a way to cross a line, like the time I had a new lab partner. I found out the really smart guy was also a great dancer and loved music. Swish, line erased. New friend made.

One big line was around a girl in my senior class. She was not afraid to stand up to anyone, including the teachers. Even her boyfriend was a much younger man and this was unheard of in high school. She didn’t care who knew it and she would threaten physical harm to any girl who even thought about looking at him. (Her name came from a Tarzan comic book for goodness sake!) Needless to say, I was intimidated. Smart cookie that I was, I avoided any contact all together. I am sure she thought I was “stuck up”. I didn’t care if it kept me from being smacked, even though I never actually saw her “hit” anyone. After high school we both moved to the cities. Our mothers, being friends, decided we should get together when they found we lived only a few miles from each other in Plymouth. “Why, why, why” I would plead with my mom. “I don’t know her and I am sure she doesn’t like me”…to which my mom would say “Ridiculous, you just went to school with the girl for the last six years!” Finally the mothers conspired against us and her mom asked me to deliver some cookies to her daughter. Now not only did I have to call her but I had to actually go OVER to her house.

This visit changed the course of my life FOREVER. First of all, she was funny! She had married her young high school sweetheart and was very, very pregnant with their second child when we got together that first day. Her little daughter was jumping on the bed in the other room. Her mom told her to knock it off and all we heard was this tiny little voice “No”! (Can you say the apple hadn’t fallen far from the tree??) After a few weeks of hanging out together I admitted that I was afraid of her in school and she admitted that she thought I was a snob. We laughed because she said she still thought I was a snob and I ducked! She told me about a claims training class at Prudential. They were hiring twenty new recruits to pay medical claims for them and she had an interview. She convinced me I should apply too and luckily we both were hired. (We turned the Dean Vaughn medical terminology training into a drinking game.) She aced the 350 word test and I got one wrong with a score of 349. (Never again will I confuse ptyalism with phagocytosis…one is excess spit the other is bacteria eating bacteria or something like that.) I worked in insurance for the next 17 years as a claims examiner and claims manager. I am so thankful I was forced to jump that line and make the friend I could have had all through high school. She clearly would have been great protection! Peace, Sandy

Preconceived notions are the locks on the door to wisdom. Merry Browne

Nothing can bring two friends together faster than homemade margaritas!



Mango Margaritas

Ingredients

For the Mango Margarita Mix:

• 1 pounds fresh mangoes

• 1 cup water

• 1/2 cup sugar

• Course salt

• Makes about 3 cups mix

For the drink:

• 3 cups ice

• 1 and one half cups Mango Margarita Mix

• 4 ounces tequila

• 2 ounces triple sec

• Lime wedges

• Mint Salt, recipe follows

Directions

Peel and pit the mangoes and cut them into large chunks. Place the mango in a blender with the water, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Blend until smooth. Taste and add more sugar, if necessary.

Fill the blender with ice and add the Mango Margarita Mix, tequila, and triple sec. Blend until smooth. Rub the rim of a margarita glass with a lime wedge and dip into Mint Salt to coat rim. Fill glass and enjoy!

Mint Salt:

1 cup fresh mint leaves

1 cup coarse sea salt

Clean and dry mint and roughly chop. With a mortar and pestle, crush equal parts fresh mint and salt.

Yield: about 1 cup salt



Watermelon Margaritas

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon lime zest

• 1/2 cup water

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 3 tablespoons coarse salt

• 1 lime wedge

• 1 cup watermelon puree (suggest using seedless watermelon, puree in blender)

• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

• One half cup premium 100 percent agave tequila

• 2 tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur (recommended: Grand Marnier or triple sec)

• 1 cup ice

Directions

In a medium saucepan, combine the lime zest, water, and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat. Cool to room temperature and strain out the zest. (Can be made in advance; keep in a covered container in the refrigerator.)

Chill a margarita glass in the freezer for 30 minutes. Place the coarse salt in a shallow dish or saucer. Wet the rim of the glass with a lime wedge and dip the glass into the salt, coating the top edge.

In a cocktail shaker, combine 2 tablespoons of the cooled lime syrup with the watermelon puree, lime juice, tequila, orange-flavored liqueur, and ice. Shake until frothy and well chilled, at least 1 minute. Strain into the prepared glass and garnish with a lime wedge.



Blueberry-Lime Margaritas

Ingredients

• 2 cups ice

• 1 cup frozen blueberries

• 1 cup blueberry nectar (or blueberry juice)

• One fourth cup seltzer

• 2 tablespoons frozen limeade

• 1 tablespoon lime juice

• 3 ounces tequila

• 1 lime wedge

• Coarse salt

Directions

Combine ice, blueberries, blueberry nectar, seltzer, limeade, lime juice and tequila, if using, in a blender and blend until smooth. Rub rim of 2 glasses with lime wedge and dip in salt. Divide the margarita between the prepared glasses and serve.

Too Many Kitties!

Too Many Kitties!




My neighbor’s sweet little boy came running into the house declaring Madam Marie “laid” more kittens!

As I lay laughing on the ground pulling out baby kitten after baby kitten from under her porch I remembered my favorite riddle, let’s see if you can solve this…The school bus driver picked up seven little girls, each of the seven little girls had seven pink backpacks. Each of the backpacks held seven cats and each of the seven cats had seven kittens. How many legs were on the bus when it arrived at the school???

Let’s just say cats multiple fast! (This is Madam Marie’s second litter of seven kittens this year.) Our family happily adopted two of the spring litter as our cat Spooky died last year at the ripe old age of sixteen. We only had her the last seven years of her life as she was a rescue but you couldn’t have asked for a nicer cat. She walked up our driveway in South Haven on the first day we moved in. We had to adopt her as she was coal black and it was only three weeks before Halloween. (We all know black cats don’t fare well on Halloween Night.)

My daughter Zoe’s first kitten also came on Halloween when she was four. She dressed up like a witch and used an old basket for trick or treating at her Montessori School. One of the parents had brought a batch of kittens to the party (clever parents) and before we knew it she had a little gray boy in her basket as her treat! She named him Smokey, he was adorable and he LOVED Zoe. He would sleep with her and follow her everywhere. He even endured being dressed up in old baby outfits and pulled around in her wagon!

Oddly enough I did not grow up loving cats. My Grandma Isabelle had a number of cats and kittens but I don’t remember liking any of them. They would hide under her wood stove in the kitchen and scratch my bare feet as I ran through the room. One night I awoke during a sleepover at Grandmas only to find a huge calico cat sitting on my chest. I screamed bloody murder because I thought she was waiting to claw my toes. Grandpa Haven was not happy! As it turned out that cat was just looking for a warm place to “lay” a new batch of kittens! If memory serves me correct – she had seven!

Did you figure out the answer to the riddle??? 10,992 legs if you include the bus driver! Now that my friend is a lot of legs!



Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea.

~Robert A. Heinlein







BIG BATCH MEATBALLS

5 lbs. ground beef (or ground turkey)

3 eggs

1 and one half cup quick cooking oatmeal

2 lg. onions, diced

1 tbsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper



ITALIAN SEASONING (NOTE: Meat can be divided and Italian seasoning added to half batch for variation.)



1 tbsp. dried basil

1 tsp. crushed red pepper

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/3 c. Parmesan cheese



Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place beef in large bowl. Measure remaining ingredients in blender. Pour blender contents over beef and mix well using hands if necessary. Shape into 1 inch balls and place on cookie sheets. Bake for 20 minutes. Pour off any fat and cool for 30 minutes. While still on tray freeze solid (usually overnight). Pack loosely in food safe freezer bags. Label and date. Use as needed. Can be added to sauces frozen and simmered until heated through.







Big Batch Butterscotch Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 and one half cups butter or margarine, softened

• 3 cups packed brown sugar

• 3 eggs

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

• 5 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• 1 and one half teaspoons baking soda

• One half teaspoon cream of tartar

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Transfer to a larger bowl if necessary. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and cream of tartar; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Drop by level tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool. Makes ten dozen cookies.

Big Batch Vegetable Soup



Ingredients

Serves 8

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 cups chopped onions or thinly sliced leeks (whites only)

• 1 cup thinly sliced celery

• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

• Coarse salt and ground pepper

• 3 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) vegetable or chicken broth

• 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, with juice

• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

• 8 cups mixed fresh or frozen vegetables, such as carrots, corn, green beans, lima beans, peas, potatoes, and zucchini (yuck). Cut the larger vegetables into smaller pieces to reduce the cooking time.

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add onions or leeks, celery, and Italian seasoning; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent, 5 to 8 minutes.

2. Add broth, tomatoes and their juice, tomato paste, and 3 cups water to pot; bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, 20 minutes.

3. Add vegetables to pot, and return to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, until vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, as desired. Let cool before storing. This freezes well.

Dimes From Heaven (Thank you Grandma Elsie!)

Elsie Moe 104 years and 5 months young

       Grandma Elsie died in on Monday, March 15th. (I give you the date for only one reason…it has been approximately six months since her death and I have received numerous reminders that she looks down on me from heaven at least twice a week.) Born on October 23rd, 1905, she lived to be 104 years and five months. I’ve written about Grandma Elsie and her garden in the past. She loved to plant flowers and always had a beautiful vegetable garden. At one time my young sons thought that her garden held the magic spell of youth as they overheard us talking one day and we said “Grandma’s garden keeps her young.” She lived alone in her house after her husband Abner died in 1960. (If you do the math you realize she was widowed 17 years LONGER than she was actually married.) She begrudgingly moved to a nursing home when she was 103. Until then my cousin would catch her up on the ladder painting her window trim! She didn’t want to bother anybody or ask for help.

       I had never heard of dimes dropping from heaven until the day of Grandma’s funeral. My sweet cousin was sweeping her kitchen floor, tidying up the house to put off her grief, when she turned around to find a brand new dime in the middle of the floor she had just cleaned. She held it up and said this is from Grandma. (I must admit I was a bit skeptical but it was her first smile of the day so I played along.) Well Grandma showed me because later as I was getting out of the car there was a dime on the ground right next to my foot! I picked it up and didn’t say a word. Two days later I found a dime on the Holiday gas station sidewalk. Ok, Ok this all might have been a coincidence but a dime in my shoe??? I tell you no lies; there was a dime in my shoe just a week later. Now they show up everywhere. In my pockets, under my desk, outside in the grass, at the park….My friend I am now a true believer! I swear to goodness, Dear Grandma Elsie is dropping dimes from heaven!

     Now I am not sure why it is dimes that we find. My first thought is that it is because Grandma was a centenarian and if you live more than 100 years you are given dimes to drop instead of mere pennies. Now I think it might be that a dime is a sign of love tenfold. Think about it if Grandma dropped a dime a week on each and every of her 23 grandchildren; 48 great-grandchildren; and 18 great-great-grandchildren that would be 4628 dimes in this next year alone. (We could plant a city park full of flowers!) Whatever the reason I am now saving these precious dimes in a jar and when I have enough I will plant a perennial flower in my garden in her memory, after all I might just have another 58 years to live and I will need my garden to keep me young. My husband Mike can paint the trim on the house though, he’ll only be 101! Peace, Sandy

“Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads.”

Henry David Thoreau

Grandma Elsie’s Rhubarb Torte – From My sweet Cousin Dawn

Crust: 1 cup butter, 2 cups flour and 4 tablespoons sugar. Mix well and press into a 9 by 13 pan. Bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Filling: 6 cups rhubarb, cut into small pieces, 1 cup milk, 2 cups sugar, 6 egg yolks, and 4 tablespoons flour. Mix well and pour over baked crust. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes at 350 degrees.

Topping: 6 egg whites and 2 tablespoons sugar. Whip until stiff and soft peaks form. Spread over torte and bake 3 minutes at 450 degrees, (just until browned). Serve warm or cold. Delicious!



Rhubarb Upside Down Cake – from Rose Mary Nelson



1 White cake mix plus ingredients to prepare

½ pint whipping cream

3 c. rhubarb

1 1/3 c. sugar

1 Tbsp. cinnamon

Make a white cake (per box or recipe directions), put into a 9X13 inch pan. Mix together the rhubarb, sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over cake batter. Pour ½ pint whipping cream over rhubarb. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes, tip out onto a cake plate or serve from the pan.


Rhubarb Crumble – from Patty Klug

Place 3 cups diced rhubarb in a 9 by 13 pan.

Make a batter of:

3 eggs

2 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cup sugar

Pour this over rhubarb

Mix together until crumbly:

1 cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup butter



Sprinkle this on top of batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 min. Serve with whipped cream.

Treat Me Like A Child, Please!

Treat Me Like A Child, Please

When I was in elementary school I had a love / hate relationship with the summer months. I loved that school was out. I hated that I now couldn’t see my friends every day. I loved the warms sunshine, camping, bomb fires and s’mores. I hated the boredom, loneliness and being hot. To this day my family does not have air conditioning of any kind, not even a window unit. (My dad claims Lake Superior is the only air conditioner needed on the North Shore.) I know we drove my mother crazy hanging around the house all day. She started to sound like a broken record. (I realized that I now sound exactly the same.) But I also started thinking how wise it would be if I listened to the advice I was giving my children.

Go Outside and Play.

When was the last time I actually “played” outside? I don’t mean weeding the garden, planting flower beds, feeding the animals or anything of the kind. I mean just play. I should just pick up a ball and throw it around. Or sit in the grass and build something out of sticks. Maybe even make a mud pie. (Now that might be fun!)

Take a nap.

Yes Yes please may I take a nap. Preferably in a hammock or the sky chair in the back yard. I fought naps tooth and nail when I was young. My mom would have us “rest” right after our lunch of grilled cheese and Campbell’s soup. I could drag that meal on forever just to avoid giving in and taking a nap. Now I think I would actually pay for the chance at a nice afternoon nap.

Read a Book.

In the 70’s (Or the days of the dinosaurs as my children like to refer to my childhood.) we obviously did not have laptops, Kindles, iPods or iPads. There was nothing better than curling up under a birch tree with a good book. This is one order I took from my mom on a regular basis. I loved to read. In the summer the bookmobile would make a stop in Schroeder and we would go in the front and browse all the way to the back finding two or three books to read. I can honestly say this was and still is one of my favorite pass times though I just don’t remember the last time someone actually told me to pick up a book and read. Now it’s a guilty pleasure. I know that I and several of my friends try to squeeze in a chapter or two between laundry loads.

It’s Bath Night!

This was the worst! Sunday night was bath night in our house. We had to try to get in, out, dried and dressed before Wild Kingdom and the Wonderful World of Disney. Until I was six we had no running water or indoor plumbing so it wasn’t as easy as you might think. (Did I mention my mother is a saint?) I now truly enjoy an evening when I have time for a long bath. The hotter the better.

So I tell my children, you be the parent and I’ll be the child. I will act on each piece of advice with great enthusiasm! I think I would be the best behaved child ever as I played, read, napped and bathed my way right through the summer months. Peace, Sandy

It is a happy talent to know how to play.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

When summer is giving you lemons, make lemon pie, lemon bars or lemon cake!
Lemon Meringue Pie
Ingredients
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 lemons, juiced and zested
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 egg yolks, beaten
• 1 (9 inch) pie crust, baked
• 4 egg whites
• 6 tablespoons white sugar
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. To Make Lemon Filling: In a medium saucepan, whisk together 1 cup sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt. Stir in water, lemon juice and lemon zest. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil. Stir in butter. Place egg yolks in a small bowl and gradually whisk in 1/2 cup of hot sugar mixture. Whisk egg yolk mixture back into remaining sugar mixture. Bring to a boil and continue to cook while stirring constantly until thick. Remove from heat. Pour filling into baked pastry shell.
3. To Make Meringue: In a large glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites until foamy. Add sugar gradually, and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over pie, sealing the edges at the crust.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until meringue is golden brown.

Lemon Bars

Ingredients
• CRUST
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• TOPPING
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• confectioners' sugar
Directions
1. Combine the flour, butter and confectioners' sugar; pat into an 8-in. square baking pan. Bake at 375 degrees F for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, eggs, flour, lemon juice, extract, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix until frothy; pour over crust.
3. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until light golden brown. Dust with confectioners' sugar.

Lemon Cake

Ingredients
• 1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
• 1 (3 ounce) package lemon flavored gelatin
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 4 tablespoons lemon juice
Directions
1. Combine gelatin mix and cake mix. Mix well.
2. Add next 4 ingredients - oil, eggs, water and lemon extract. Mix lightly.
3. Bake according to instructions on back of cake box.
4. To Make Frosting: Combine confectioners' sugar and lemon juice.
5. When cake is done, and while still hot, ice with frosting.

Every Thing You Need To Know About "The One"

Top Photo: Stephen and Heather Holthaus - Married May 28, 2010 Decorah Fish Hatchery

Bottom Photo: Mike and Sandy Holthaus - Brugge Belgium 1995

Everything you need to know about “The One”.

My favorite brother in law proposed to his sweet girlfriend on St. Patrick’s Day in Ely. (It wasn’t a matter of green beer goggles as apparently there are not many Irish in the town of Ely and my brother in law is quite German.) He planned the moment with a bottle of champagne on the shoreline and the perfect view of the lake. So romantic! I have been friends and roommates with him for many, many years so I was very excited to see him so happy and comfortable with his decision to marry “the one”. He just knew. I, on the other hand, had an evaluation process when I chose Michael…..three little words….backpack through Europe. Seriously, if you are even considering marriage, plan a trip abroad and you will learn everything you need to know about a life-partner.

Case and point:

One: Does he pack light? I’m not just talking luggage. Is he a hoarder and collector of all your faults and mistakes? Does he save laundry list of every mis-step you have ever made to bring up a parties of mixed company or does he let it go and consider your quirky traits be part of your charm? Light packers are more fun on trips, especially the very long trip of marriage.

Two: Does he use a map? I feel if a man is willing to use the God given resources provided, for example, a map, to navigate his way through the streets of Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, and Salzburg (just to name a few) then he is the kind of guy who is willing to help guide his family through job changes, household moves, the education system , and the blessed healthcare bill. My friend, ignorance is not bliss, especially in a marriage.

Three: Is he willing to try new and foreign foods? This is a big one as I sometimes try new recipes that may lean to the unusual. Though I have toned it down a bit and removed the roasted garlic maker from the cupboard, I still do not make fried chicken as well as his mothers, nor am I able to make his grandmother’s famous graham cracker dessert. My husband is will to eat almost anything to stave off hunger and this my friend is a very lovable trait.

Four: Does he try to speak the language? Contrary to popular belief, not everyone in Europe speaks “some” English and even those who do it can be scattered and hard to understand….like me when I am frazzled and trying to make a point. Is he willing to take the time, and sometimes use a translation dictionary, to fully understand the situation before throwing up his hands in frustration? Trust me you want someone who is willing to understand the complicated dialog we women sometimes use to make our point. To some it all sounds like French.

And finally Five: Is he willing to share the load? Literally. When you find the perfect lead crystal bowls at a little shop in Prague does he offer to put a few in his backpack to help you avoid a hernia? (Knowing full well he will be carrying around an extra 20 pounds for the next three weeks and risking a through frisking at customs.) If so he, as a husband, will be willing to help unload the groceries, move furniture around the living room just because you need a change and sling hay bales to feed a horse he will never ride. He is truly the guy for me! Peace, Sandy Welcome to the family Heather Holthaus!

“Choose your life's mate carefully. From this one decision will come 90 % of all your happiness or 90 % of your misery.” H. Jackson Brown, Jr.







These three macaroni and cheese recipes will get you through the first years of wedded bliss and beyond.

Mac and Cheese Bake

Ingredients
• 1 (16 ounce) package uncooked pasta shells
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 (16 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese
• 4 ounces soda crackers, crushed
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a large casserole dish.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Stir in shell pasta and cook 12 minutes, or until tender but still firm. Drain, and transfer to a large bowl.
Mix cream of mushroom soup, Cheddar cheese, with the pasta. Pour into the prepared casserole dish. Top with crushed crackers.
Cover dish, and bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove cover, and continue baking 15 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and crackers are lightly browned.

Mac, Cheese and Peas

Ingredients
• 2 (10.75 ounce) cans Campbell's® Condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup
• 1 and one half cups milk
• 2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
• 1 and one half cups frozen peas
• 3 cups elbow pasta, cooked and drained
• One fourths cup water
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 4 cups Corn Bread Stuffing
Directions
Stir the soup, milk, mustard, peas and pasta in a 3-quart shallow baking dish.
Stir the water and butter in a large bowl. Add the stuffing and mix lightly to coat. Sprinkle the stuffing over the pasta mixture.
Bake at 400 degrees F. for 30 minutes or until it's hot and bubbling.












Tuna Mac and Cheese

Ingredients
• 1 cup uncooked egg noodles
• 2 and one half cups sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
• One fourths cup milk
• One fourth cup butter
• One third cup cottage cheese
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 1 (12 ounce) can tuna, drained
Directions
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine cheddar cheese, milk, butter, cottage cheese, and sour cream; stir until melted.
Pour cooked noodles into the cheese mixture and stir until well mixed. Stir in canned tuna; heat thoroughly.

Baby You're A Character

Zoe and Bella (though not named after Bella Swan.)

Baby, You’re A Character!

The love of reading started for me really early, probably by the second grade. Until now I hadn’t realized the effect all this reading had on my life even, if possibly, some of it was subliminal. After close evaluation it would appear that all of my children have names from characters in some of my favorite books. This realization came to me with the recent death of J.D. Salinger. I knew from the beginning that my daughter, Zoë was named from his book Franny and Zooey. Although not my favorite Salinger book, I liked the name Zooey from the first time I read the title. I preferred the spelling Zoë though as I thought Zooey would be accidently pronounce Zoo-ie (Like a zoo.) and I thought the simpler spelling with oomlouts (two dots over the “e”) looked nicer. My favorite Salinger book really is his most famous “The Catcher In The Rye”. (Zoë was this close to being named Phoebe until my mother objected.) I had not heard of this book until I was about 13, visiting my grandparents in Washington State. While riding on a ferry boat on our way to visit the Puget Sound a girl was laying on the deck laughing hysterically at the book she was reading. I thought…I have got to read that book so I took a peek at the title. I too laughed out loud when I read the story. It’s a good book to re-read every few years because I think the story changes with your age and point of view.
My very favorite books at Birch Grove Elementary School were written by Gertrude Chandler Warner. I wanted to BE a boxcar child. I wanted to live in the woods and make scrambled eggs over an open fire and solve mysteries with my clever mind. These books are the best and not until a few days ago did I remember that one of the boys was named “Benny”. Could this have led to the naming of my youngest son Ben??? It’s certainly possible. The adventures of Henry, Jessie, Violet and Benny gave me hours and hours of entertainment as a child. I own the copies of all these books from the elementary library. Some of the books still have the original library cards in them. My name Sandy A. is scrawled on the checked out by line from way back in 1973.
So now I bet you’re wondering which books inspired the name for my fun loving son, named Jack??? For this I really had to think….I knew there was a character named Jack somewhere, somehow in all of the hundreds of books I read as a child. Then it came to me…Laura Ingalls Wilder! The Little House Books! These were really fun to read. I especially liked Little House In The Big woods because they made maple syrup just like we did when I was young. Cooking the sap over an open wood fire outside in the yard. Trust me there is nothing better than homemade maple syrup. Did you know it takes over 40 gallons of maple tree sap to make ONE gallon of syrup??? That’s a whole lot of sap. Anyway, can you place the character Jack in the Little House books? He was their beloved dog! Great names have to come from somewhere and I guess I must love dogs as we now have five. Peace, a good book and delicious cooking to you! Sandy

Show me the books he loves and I shall know the man
far better than through mortal friends.
~ Dawn Adams ~

SWEDISH “CATCHER IN THE RYE” COOKIES

1 cup rye flour
1 cup all purpose flour
One half teaspoon salt
One half cup cream cheese, room temperature
One half cup butter, room temperature
One half cup sugar
large grain sugar (for sprinkling)
powdered sugar (for snow)
Line a couple baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium-sized bowl combine the flours and salt. Set aside. In an electric mixer (or by hand) beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy, add the butter and do the same, mixing until the two are well combined. Beat in the sugar and mix until well incorporated. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir only long enough to combine the two. The dough should no longer be dusty looking. Turn the dough out onto the counter, knead once or twice to bring it together, shape into a ball, flatten, wrap in plastic and chill it in a refrigerator.
Heat your oven to 350F degrees, and arrange the racks in the top and bottom thirds. When you are ready to roll out your cookies do so on a lightly floured work surface. Roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thickness, and cut into shapes with the cookie cutter of your choice. Place on the prepared baking sheets an inch apart, and sprinkle each cookie with a bit of large-grain sugar. Bake for six or seven minutes, just until cookies are fragrant, and getting a bit golden at the edges - avoid over-baking or they will come out on the dry side. Allow to cool, and dust cookies with a bit of powdered sugar.

PERFECT “BOXCAR” SCRAMBLED EGGS

Making the perfect scrambled eggs isn't difficult. The key is whisking the eggs thoroughly and vigorously before cooking them. And fluffier is better!

Overcooking is a common problem with scrambled eggs. The perfect scrambled eggs should be soft and just a little bit moist. Eggs should be cooked in a nonstick sauté pan. Use a heat-resistant rubber spatula.
Ingredients:
• 8 eggs
• One half cup whole milk
• 2 Tbsp whole butter
• Salt and pepper, to taste
Preparation:
1. Crack the eggs into a glass mixing bowl and beat them until they turn a pale yellow color.
2. Heat a heavy-bottomed nonstick sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the butter and let it melt.
3. Add the milk to the eggs and season to taste with salt and pepper. Then, grab your whisk and whisk like crazy. You're going to want to work up a sweat here. If you're not up for that, you can use an electric beater or stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Whatever device you use, you're trying to beat as much air as possible into the eggs.
4. When the butter in the pan is hot enough to make a drop of water hiss, pour in the eggs. Don't stir! Let the eggs cook for up to a minute or until the bottom starts to set.
5. With a heat-resistant rubber spatula, gently push one edge of the egg into the center of the pan, while tilting the pan to allow the still liquid egg to flow in underneath. Repeat with the other edges, until there's no liquid left.
6. Turn off the heat and continue gently stirring and turning the egg until all the uncooked parts become firm. Don't break up the egg, though. Try to keep the curds as large as possible.
7. Transfer to a plate when the eggs are set but still moist and soft. Eggs are delicate, so they'll continue to cook for a few moments after they're on the plate.
Serves 4.

“LITTLE HOUSE” MAPLE SYRUP CANDY

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups real maple syrup
DIRECTIONS:
1. Using a candy thermometer, in a sturdy saucepan with high sides, bring the maple syrup to a boil.
2. Turn the heat to very low and allow the syrup to continue boiling without stirring until the thermometer reads 233F. Be careful that the syrup doesn’t boil over - once maple syrup finally decides to boil, it really boils. The boiling action is mesmerizing; the syrup’s dark earthy color in such constant motion reminds us that the earth itself is constantly moving and changing, even when it appears to remain the same.
3. When the reduced syrup has reached 233F, remove it from the heat and allow to cool, still without stirring it, until the thermometer reads 110F.
4. Now it’s time to beat the reduced syrup with a wooden spoon. Beat vigorously for several minutes. (It can help to sing when you do this.) You are making a transformation take place: As you beat, the syrup gradually turns a pale caramel color and it becomes stiff enough to hold a shape.
5. Form into patties on a baking sheet and allow to cool completely.

Lovin' Summer - 50 Ideas for Summer Fun!!

My friend Shannon's daughter Morgan is already a little bored with summer so I told her I would blog this for her. This is a column I wrote as a feature for a Summer Guide in 2009. Only 25 of the original 50 ideas were ever published. You are reading this in it's entirety for the very first time! Enjoy! Sandy

P.S. This is a picture of my daughter, Zoe loving the summer of 1999 on the bank of the Temperance River (seventh pool).

Lovin’ Summer

It’s almost here and I cannot wait! Summer means sleeping late, relaxing by the lake, and after about a week hearing the kids say….”We’re bored”! There is “Nothing to do”. My children did not invent this mentality as I know for a fact we drove our mom crazy with these words day after day until she told us to go outside or she’d give us housework. I personally have nothing against child labor but then again it is fun to do some things in the summer that you would never do any other time of year. And because I write a cooking column of course all my ideas surround food of some kind. As you will see below not all foods are meant for consumption, like zucchini, but for the most part these recipes are easy and delicious. I call them “50 Ways to Leave Your Boredom”. (Paul Simon fans will get this joke.)
1. Food Fight Party - Adventurous moms will allow this once and maybe only once but it is fun. From experience I suggest the following rules: Rule one: If you won’t eat it don’t throw it! This prevents the neighborhood children from making disgusting concoctions of refrigerator left over’s and throwing them on my head. (Try to get old cottage cheese and gravy out of your hair…not easy!) Good ideas for ammo: Chocolate pudding, Hershey’s syrup, whipping cream in a can, jello, cake, ice cream….Rule Two: To play you must be inside the circle. We used a garden hose to make the boundaries, that way if you needed a break you had a safe place to go. Rule Three: No food thrown from outside the circle. And Rule Four: Don’t throw food at the cameraman.
2. Powder Sugar Fishing – Take powder sugar doughnuts and tie them to a string. Attach the string to a pole and dangle the doughnut over someone lying on their back. The “fish” try to bite the doughnut. We use powder sugar because they are the messiest.
3. Blue Food Breakfast – Make everything blue using food coloring. Blue pancakes, blue scrambled eggs and blue milk. This comes from Zoe’s favorite book “No Blue Food.” I think the milk is the hardest to get past the color. It just doesn’t seem right.
4. Make a Candy Gram – Using candy bars and treats to make words on a poster board are really fun. The kids learn to be creative too. The RIESEN for this greeting is to wish you a CAREFREE summer. Don't go NUTS while you are fighting the MOUNDS of people at the park. Don't worry about getting CHUNKY as there will be GOOD and PLENTY time to worry about that next winter! HUGS AND KISSES! Your, SWEETHEARTS.
5. Whip Cream Cars – A can of whipping cream and matchbox cars are a fun afternoon game. Cover an outdoor picnic table with whipping cream and drive the cars through the “snow”. It will be good practice for next November.
6. Jello Shots – Settle down this is for the kids. Try making your favorite flavor combinations of jello and juice. Just replace the cold water with fruit juice and put the jello into little cups. My favorite is peach jello with orange juice. (I don’t know where I came up with this but the combo is to die for.)
7. Gold Fish Trail – This is like Hansel and Gretel following bread crumbs into the forest but I think the orange gold fish crackers show up better. Have one child start the trail and see if the rest can follow it. You might want to take the family dog along to pick up the crackers along the way.
8. Sweet Bubbles - Make homemade bubbles and use flyswatters over the outside air conditioning unit when it runs and you will not believe the bubbles! Use two flyswatters as one is just not enough. Sweet Bubbles: 1 Tablespoon Corn Syrup, 2 Tablespoons dish soap and one cup water, mix well.
9. Pick Apples and Make Apple Sauce – There is nothing like homemade apple sauce and the kids will actually know that it doesn’t have to come from a jar. Peel, core and slice six cup of apples, (try different varieties) place in a pan and add two cups of water, cook down to make sauce add more water if needed, mash with potato masher and add sugar to taste.
10. Make Celery Roses – If you cut a stalk of celery about two inches from the bottom you will see the part usually thrown out is a perfect rose. Dip in paint and press on paper. Pretty!
11. Peanut Butter Play Dough - -1 cup smooth peanut butter, One half cup light corn syrup, one half tablespoon vanilla extract and one and one fourths cup powdered sugar. Mix peanut butter, corn syrup and vanilla together. Gradually add powdered sugar. Store covered at room temperature.
12. Oreo Salad – We all have pot lucks in the summer and this is the most kid friendly to make. Better yet let them make it. Put about 15 Oreo’s in a Ziploc bag. Smash into small pieces. Mix with a large container of cool whip and serve. Whole Oreos on top look good but wait until just before serving as they get mushy if they sit too long.
13. Cooked Spaghetti Art – Cook spaghetti and dye with food coloring. Using scissors and paper cut the spaghetti into various sizes to make lines and pictures on the paper. The spaghetti will stick once it is dry.
14. Volunteer for Meals on Wheels – Kids and parents can help deliver food to the community in the summer. Contact senior dining for more information. This is fun and only takes about an hour out of your day to help those in need.
15. Crumby Car Clean Up – Hand out the vacuum and those little food dropping will disappear like magic from mom’s car. (The family dog in the car for 15 minutes can have the same effect.) Whichever.
16. Stone Soup – Invite all the neighbors to bring a veggie over and make stone soup. You provide the pot full of water and the stone at the bottom. Peeling, chopping and dicing can be lots of fun when you do it together. In the end you have a wonderful soup.
17. Ants on a Log – Using the leftover celery from idea number 10, cut into sticks and add peanut butter and raisins. If you don’t like raisins use M&Ms, the ants are bigger and they taste better too.
18. Pick Strawberries at the local patch – These are soo good you’ll just want to wash them and eat them the minute you get home. Try to save a few for future project ideas below.
19. Coffee Can Ice Cream – Using a 12 ounce and 39 ounce coffee cans you have an ice cream maker ready to go. In the smaller can add pre-mixed one cup of whole milk, one cup of heavy cream, one half cup of sugar and one half a teaspoon vanilla. Cover can and tape to hold in place. Place smaller can into larger can then fill with crushed ice and rock salt. Tape large cover in place then roll down the hill for 20 or 30 minutes. Eat immediately because you are hot from all that rolling.
20. Tic Tac Toe – Use cereal and raisins for x’s and o’s. Winner eats the game pieces. Cat games eat their own.
21. Bread Dough Doughnut Holes – Using refrigerator biscuits cut into fours, fry dough in oil then roll in sugar and cinnamon.
22. Make Go Go Juice – Use one cup orange juice concentrate, one cup sliced bananas and one cup pineapple juice. Blend well and drink. This will get you hula hooping in no time!
23. Make Chocolate Clay - Materials: 10 ounces of chocolate (chopped chunks or chips) and one third cup light corn syrup. 1. Melt the chocolate in a microwave for one minute. Stir. If chocolate is not completely melted, return to the microwave for 30 seconds at a time and stir until smooth. If you don't have a microwave, place the chocolate in the top of a double broiler over hot water and stir until melted. 2. When the chocolate is melted, add the corn syrup and blend. 3. Pour the mixture onto a waxed paper sheet. 4. Spread the chocolate with your fingers until it's about one half inch thick. 5. Cover loosely with waxed paper and let it stiffen for at least a couple hours or overnight. The chocolate will become very pliable.
24. Volunteer for Fare For All - This is a great way to teach children about how a food coop works in our community. One Saturday a month throughout the summer. Kid and parent volunteers are welcome!
25. Pop “Real” Popcorn – Buy the kernels and show the kids’ popcorn doesn’t always come out of a microwavable bag. Don’t feel bad, my kids just saw this a month ago. The smell is awesome!
26. Pudding Paint with Sprinkles – Nuff said!
27. Corn Starch Sidewalk Paint – Mix corn starch, water and tempera paints. I use a muffin pan to make lots of colors. Use brushes to paint on the sidewalks and cement. When it dries the colors are brilliant.
28. Visit the Farmers Market – Lots of locally grown, locally made products. You might even find something for your Stone Soup.
29. Make Apple Cheese Pizza – Use one loaf of frozen bread dough thawed, roll onto pizza pan, top with one cup shredded cheddar cheese, two cups sliced apples, and a mixture of one half teaspoon cinnamon, two Tablespoons flour and one half cup brown sugar. Top with two tablespoons of butter. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
30. Make Frozen Fruit Cups – Blend berries and bananas in blender. Spoon into Dixie cups and put a Popsicle stick in the center of each cup. Freeze. Remove paper and enjoy.
31. Apple Bobs – Tie strings to apples and hang them in a row on the clothes line at mouth height, with hands behind your back you must eat the entire apple. First one done, wins an apple.
32. Make Dinosaur Food – Ingredients: One fourth cup dirt (Cocoa), one half cup swamp water (milk), two cups crushed bones (sugar), one half cup fat (softened butter), two and a half cups grass (uncooked quick oats), one half cup squashed bugs (crunchy peanut butter) and one teaspoon muddy water (vanilla). Mix first four ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil for one minute. Remove from heat and add grass, bugs and muddy water. Drop by tablespoon onto wax paper, wait for the ice age (let cool) and serve to the cave men.
33. Pass the orange please – Oranges are passed back and forth under their chins between teams of two six times, then the team peels and eats the orange. The first team done wins, an orange.
34. Banana Logs – Peel and cut bananas in half. Insert a stick into the end, dip in glass of Hershey’s syrup and roll in rice krispies. Yum!
35. Pick Raspberries – Visit a local raspberry grower and pick the reddest, juiciest berries. Then buy some lemon sherbet on the way home. This combination of berries and lemon is unbelievably good.
36. Have a Picnic – Pack a picnic and head out to your favorite park. Don’t go to the same park you usually frequent, try a different location and discover new trails. Sandwiches taste better in the great outdoors.
37. Make Monkey Bread – 5 pkgs. Pillsbury refrigerator rolls, one cup sugar, three tbsp. cinnamon, one stick butter, one half cup brown sugar. Cut each roll in quarters and mix sugar and cinnamon together. Toss cut rolls into sugar and cinnamon mixture. Layer in fully greased Bundt pan. Melt butter and add brown sugar. Pour over entire cut and layered pieces. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Turn over onto dish, and serve warm.
38. Potato Stamps – Using large baking potatoes, cut in half then draw a design on the bottom of the potato, carefully cut around the design then cut away the potato from the edge leaving the design raised on the end of the potato. This then makes a great stamper with any kind of paint.
39. Dirt Cake – Using a clean sand pail and shovel this makes a great beach cake. You will need 12 ounces of gummy worms, one box of Oreo cookie crumbs and two large boxes of instant vanilla pudding (prepared with milk). Mix pudding with 8 ounces of cream cheese, one cup powdered sugar and one stick of softened butter. Fold in 16 ounces of cool whip. Layer in pail pudding, crumbs and worms until you get to the top. Then hang remaining worms over the edge and top with dirt. (Oreo crumbs) Serve with shovel.
40. ABC Bread – Using frozen bread dough make shapes, letters and names on a greased cookie sheet. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with salt or sesame seeds. Bake at 350 degrees until brown.
41. Carrot Catcher – Drop baby carrots into a mason jar while standing with your hand at least 24 inches from the top of the jar. Person with the most carrots in the jar, wins, carrots.
42. Fruit Kabobs – Using skewers make kabobs with all kinds of fruit like bananas, oranges and strawberries. The best fruit dip is made with 7 ounces of marshmallow cream mixed with 8 ounces of cream cheese.
43. Graham Cracker Cookies – Honey or Chocolate graham crackers with homemade frosting are delicious. Mix one cup powder sugar with one tablespoon milk and one half teaspoon vanilla to make the frosting.
44. Pizza Bubble Bread – Sprinkle pizza pan with corn meal. In a bowl mix one package refrigerator biscuits cut each into four pieces with one half cup pizza sauce. Arrange in an eight inch circle on the pan and top with one cup shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.
45. Hot Dog Mummies with Cheese – Slice hot dogs the long way but not all the way through put one fourth of a slice of American cheese into each cut. Then roll a refrigerator biscuit into a long snake, wrap the hot dog like a mummy and place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes or until golden brown.
46. Apple Schmear – This is played with tennis rackets and old apples. The pitcher tosses the apple to the batter, who using the tennis racket schmears the apple everywhere. Hint to pitcher: Wear old clothes.
47. Make Octopus Spaghetti – Cook spaghetti noodles and use blue food coloring to make the “water”. Cut hot dogs three quarters of the way into eight legs, leaving one quarter not cut at all. (This is the head of the octopus.) Boil hot dogs about three minutes and serve on top of the water.
48. Make Apple Smiles – Using two red apple slices, top one with peanut butter and two mini marshmallows, top the second with peanut butter then put the two together like lips to make an apple smile. Very cute and delicious too.
49. Baby Food Tasting Contest – Buy several jars of baby food and remove the labels after you have numbered and recorded each jar. Have your friends try to identify the baby food flavor first by sight then by smell and finally by taste. The winner gets baby food?
50. And finally – Zucchini Boats – This of course if the only good thing you can do with a zucchini. Carve the center from the biggest zucchini you can find. Don’t buy one just grab one from the post office where the zucchini growers dump them once they have run out of neighbors and friends to give them to. Feel free to add a mast or decorations. You may even wish to christen your boat with a name. Then send it off down a river, stream or lake. Smile as it disappears like summer will all too soon!

Thanks to my sister cousin for all her help with these ideas. She is very clever. (Love you Dawn) And thanks to all of you who read and enjoy the column. Have a wonderful summer!
Peace, Sandy