ROASTED RED POTATOES

Well, today is my daughters last day of finals at College. She already has a job waiting for her starting out at 16.50 per hour. She will be doing wound care. I met a wound care nurse one time and they said that the profession was in high demand. My heart is a little heavy as her job is in another town and she will be saving her money so her and my grand babies can move. *sobbing* I am happy yet aching in my heart at the same time. I have the feeling I got when the twin towers were hit. It was a feeling of immense sorrow and pain that I can not explain.

This recipe I got from the magazine Taste of Home's Quick Cooking issued in 1998. This recipe has a note that reads: "These tender, tasty potatoes are so simple to make, " confirms Kitty Hernandez of Chicago, Illinois. "There's no need to peel them-just slice, season and bake."

1pound small red potatoes

1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan Cheese

Cut the potatoes into 1/4 in thick slices; toss with oil. Place in a single layer in a greased 13-in X 9-in. X 2-in. baking pan. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese. Cover tightly with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until tender. Makes about 4 servings.

Poor Kitty, Chocolate Chip cookies & todays Saturn front porch weather pic.

This picture is of one of many kitty cats that people dump off at our place when they don't want them anymore. This kitty must have belonged to someone at sometime, because this one let me pet her/him. I tried putting food in a bowl, but she wouldn't eat it, so I put it straight on the floor and she ate it. As long as she is here, I will take care of her, as well as my Dad, who is a Great Grandpa. My Dad & Mom live next door. So far to date this year, my Dad has taken a total of 18 cats to the vet to get them shots and fixed at his own expence. It is costly for him but necessary. These cats stay around our property and we feed them and keep fresh water for them all. Two cats are allowed in Dads house, and one cat is allowed in my house. The one I have, I adopted from the shelter in the next town over and his name is Panther. Solid black and loveable as can be.
We see people late in the evening stopping near our cattle guard at the end of the road, dumping pets off because they don't want to bother with them any more, or they move, and can't have pets in their new house. It is sad because they do not know how to survive in the wild. Where we live is a rural area and pretty much some wild country. I think the cats have a connection with one another to. Like if one is dumped off, the other cats will go fetch it and bring it or show it our house to get food and care.
This becomes a burden on my fathers pocket book as he is on a fixed income and my Mom is handicapped and can't take care of herself. My husband and I help out as much as we can in feeding the animals and caring for them. I can not afford to take them all to the vet, so when this problem gets out of our hands, I don't know what will become of the kitties.
The kitty you see below is a new one that showed up and is bone thin. Then one of my other favorites is a crosseyed white cat, with two different colored eyes and a deformed ear. The other cats will let it eat last, but she looks healthier than it when she first showed up here. She was half dead and near starved to death. Now she is thriving here at our place. Then there is the siamese cat. Wow, this one had some problems to, and is the shy one. She is thriving as well and is getting more weight on her.
Another one of my favorites was a cat I called 'Fang'. She sadly passed away. I had never seen a cat with fangs that hung down her face, but this one did. She had ran off and was bitten by some animal or something, and she could not survive it and passed away. On the back part of our property, we started having little animial cemetery and have two cats, one kitten, and three dogs buried there. One dog was a dog we raised from a pup and she was hit by a car. Her name was Sunshine and I miss her even today. The other two are dalmations that belonged to my sister Wendy. Denae' died of old age, and she has my angle tomb stone for her little head stone. I had that made for me for when I die, but my sister and all of us were so sad about her passing, I gave it to her. The other dalmation died of old age also.
Sadly, I have one other dog of my own and her name is Sissy. She is about 15 or 16 yrs old and grew up the better part of her life with my children, growing up together. She isn't looking to good these days and is not as active as she used to be. She used to howl with me, and now she can't howl anymore. She alsow loves to go 'bye bye' and when you say, "Sissy, want to go bye bye", she runs to the car. Now she just lays there and looks at me.



What your seeing, is what your seeing. This is todays front porch pic. here in Saturn, Texas. It sort of reminds me of a story my sister told me about when she was in England. She was able to go to England and Germany many years ago. She was walking in the rain with no hat or umbrella and people were looking at her like she was crazy. But, she was loving it. She said, "I can't believe it, I am walking in the rain in England.". Must have been something. My little sisters name is Wendy and she is a huge fan of Princess Diana and the Queen and the all the monarchy. I am also.

Todays recipe came from the back of a blonnet Butter box. NOt sure if Blue bonnet is actually 'butter' or not....

BLUE BONNET CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup Blue Bonnet stick, melted and cooled
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees


2. Combine flour and baking soda. Set aside


3. In a large bowl, combine melted Blue Bonnet and brown sugar. Mix well. Stir in egg and vanilla extract until well blended. Add flour mixture and stir until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.


4. for each cookie, drop a heaping tablespoon of dough onto a cookie sheet, leaving about 2 1/2 inches between each. Bake at 350 degrees for 9 to 11 minutes or until edges harden and centers are still soft.

SPINACH SOUFFLE CALZONE

This recipe I clipped from the April 20, 2004 edition of Family Circle. I remember when Calzones became popular here in America. I believe it was in one of the Seinfeld comedy shows when the world over was making Calzones. LOL. I had heard of them before that, but never had made one. This recipe is an easy one to make, and I love spinach and hope you all do to. I think the spinach is safe to eat now, isn't it?? In this recipe, I substituted turkey for the ham as we do not eat pork.

1 package (12 ounces) frozen spinach souffle, thawed in refrigerator overnight

1/4 pound sliced cooked ham, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese (2 ozs)

1 tube (10 ozs) refrigerated pizza crust

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Coat baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. In large bowl, combine thawed spinach souffle, ham and cheese

Unroll tube of refrigerated pizza crust into 10-inch square; if necessary roll out with rolling pin. Cut into four 4-inch squares. Spoon 1/2 cup spinach mixture onto each square; spread into a triangle to cover half. Fold dough over filling to form triangle. Roll edge over once to seal. Invert onto prepared baking sheet. with fork, press edges to seal. Repeat with remaining filling and dough.

Bake in 400 degree oven until calzones are browned and filling is hot, about 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

OATMEAL COOKIES

Here is a really good recipe from Woman's Day, August 1975. They used to have these little inserts in their magazine you could tear out with alot of recipes in them. Have the little children help you with these. Something children will always remember, is the time spent helping to make cookies in the kitchen. I made my granddaughter, Laila, a little apron to wear when baking or cooking. If she is picking up her toys and helping me clean, she runs for her little apron, and she is only three. :)

OATMEAL COOKIES



2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted and cooled

1/4 cup flour

2 egg whites, stiffly beaten



In mixing bowl stir together oats, sugar, butter and flour. Fold in egg whites until well blended; drop by heaping teaspoonfuls on greased cookie sheets. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven until golden, about 12 minutes. Remove to rack to cool. Store in airtight container. Makes about 3 dozen.

COOKING METHODS FOR FISH

Fish cooks very quickly; it should be cooked at a high temperature for a short period of time. No tenderizing is necessary...all fish is naturally tender!

BAKING: Bake fish uncovered in a 450 degree oven for 10 minutes per inch of thickness. If baking a fillet that is thin at one end and thick at the other, tuck the thin end under itself so that the fish is about the same thickness overall when it bakes. Fish is done when it turns form translucent to opaque and just begins to flake.

PAN-FRYING, SAUTEING: On medium heat, add fish to oil or butter, and turn halfway through the cooking process. Or "pan-broil", using a non-stick skillet and no oil.

MICROWAVING: Place fish in a shallow dish, and cover with plastic wrap with one corner left open for venting. Microwave on High power for only 3 minutes per pound of fish. Remove and let stand; the fish will continue to cook for a minute or two.

BROILING: Broil fish 2 to 5 inches from heat source. The thinner the fish, the closer it should be to the heat for quick cooking. Broil for 10 minutes per inch of thickness, turning once halfway through cooking time.

GRILLING: Start with a clean and oiled grill grid. Thicker, firmer pieces of fish work best (for example: halibut, tuna, swordfish and salmon steaks). Preheat gas grill for about 10 minutes and prepare charcoal fire about 30 minutes in advance. Grill fish 4 to 6 inches above coals at Medium to High heat. Cook until fish turns opaque, about 10 minutes per inch of thickness.

DEEP-FRYING: Use a wok or a large skillet. Heat oil first, then add small pieces of fish, tossing carefully until fish turns opaque. Remove to plate, stir-fry vegetables until crisp-tender, add fish back to pan to combine, and serve. Any sauce should be added to the vegetables before the fish is added back in.

POACHING: Start with the poaching liquid (wine, stock, water, or a combination) and any flavorings such as herbs or garlic. Bring liquid to a boil; reduce heat to Low so that liquid is barely simmering. Carefully lower fish into liquid and cook for 10 minutes per inch of thickness. A large wide patula will help you remove fish from poaching liquid.

STEAMING: Use a steamer rack in a saucepan, or a bamboo steamer, and about 1 inch of water in the bottom of the pan. Cover and steam fish for 10 minutes per inch of thickness.