Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Enough squash everyone???

Here's some recipes that can use up some of the veggies in your garden that we always seem to have too much of. These are a little different, but they are all REALLY good- well, I think so at least.... I hope you enjoy!

SQUASH CASSEROLE
Fry three lbs of squash and 2 sliced onions
stir in 11/2 cups of cheddar cheese,
1 cup mayo
3 beaten eggs
12 crushed saltine crackers
1 pkg ranch mix and
1 tsp salt
Mix 2 cups of drybread crumbs with 1/4 melted butter
Put squash mix in a greased casserole dish then top with the crumbs

STUFFED SUMMER SQUASH

6 Round squash
12 strips of bacon
1/2 onion
1 1/2 cups sfotbread crumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Boil about 1" of water, place squash in it, cover nad boil for 10 minutes until skin is piercable. Fry bacon, t hen onion, then add innards of boiled squash. Stir in bread crumbs and cheese. LOead until overflowing. Place in baking dish, cover loosely with foil. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Zuchinni Pie
Fry 4 cups shredded zuchinni, 1/2 cup chopped onion in 1/2 cup margerine
Add: 2 t Parsley, 1/4 t garlic, 1/4 basil, 1/4 oregano fry for 10 minutes
Then add 1 lb, already cooked hamburger or sausage.
Mix 2 beaten eggs and 2 cups cheese and add to the rest of the mixture

Take 1 package of crescent rolls and piece together to form a crust in a pie pan. Coat crust liberally with mustard then pour mixture into the crust, sprinkle top with paremesan cheese. Bake at 350 for at least 20 minutes- but it should take around 40 minutes when the knife comes out clean. Cover at least the last ten minutes.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Still Standing

Here's a poem that describes almost perfectly how I have felt since last September. I can't believe that it has been almost a year since Hans started his new job and we have started living apart. My hat goes off and my heart goes out to all military wives. At least I know where my husband is, what he is doing and that he will come home.
While my hat is going off- it goes off to all single parents especially my little sis who has been such a caring mom to her little girl while going through an ugly divorce- God bless her and her daughter, and my folks who have taken them in and have helped them survive this hard time.
I, of course, also tip my hat to all those in past or present military who have sacrificed not only their lives and time but sometimes minds and well-being for the benefit for every member of our nation and the countless of other people that our soliders have helped. God Bless America and our troops who are strong, courageous and committed for the betterment of this world. Sometimes I think that maybe our great nation might feel like this poem too, but thank heavens, "she" is still standing.
I am broken
lost
a part missing
pieces of myself away
alone, not lonely
and still standing

Faith bending
tried
Hollowed, hard
a tree swept by fire
my soul is stripped
but still standing

All spent
wasted
Falling out with fear
Destined like rain to fall
heart hurt and heavy
still standing

Time never passes
in wait
for the unexpected
until at last
clearing comes
I'm still standing

Finally in flight
soaring
Hope finds me
stars within grasp
now I stretch free
still standing

WELCOME to our new home

We got moved in settled a few weeks ago, but it has taken me longer than I thought to get back into my groove. I hadn't realized that I HAD a groove, maybe it was more like a rut, but anyway, I am comfortably back into it and that is that. So, I am sure that you are all curious to see what exactly we moved into. You have to promise to not be jealous!!! Really.... everybody seems to think that I mind terribly our new home, but I don't mind it that much. I am with Hans, the boys have their dad and unlimited roaming space and so much more family close by, I would make the trade again anyday. Not to mention the projects that I am planning that will keep me busy for quite some time. Ready?
Well, the power plant pays for all of their employees to move within 40 miles of the plant so they packed us up and shipped us off. This is the truck arriving. It was huge! Our stuff only took up about 1/3 of the truck!


Hans and I are still in debate about what is happening with the exterior of the house. I want to get some paint and paint it, then get a good color match and do the shutters differently. The porch will be fixed- it sags in the middle and threatens to collapse whenever you step on it. I want to put a little roof over it, a simple little peak that stretches back to the trailer, that would hopefully break up the ugliness a little bit. we will probably be here for 21/2 to 3 years so I want to make it look like a home for us.

OK- let me explain that roof looking thing. Nevermind- can't explain it. But I am going to try to put little support strut things off from it to support a new piece of wood that will make it look like a beam instead of a chintzy shingled roof inside of a house. And that is faux brick paneling. he he he. I have never seen it before. I giggle when I see it. The next pic is the kitchen dining combo. The floor is newish lineolium, so that is good to stay. But the wallpaper is falling off and so I am going to practice my tiling and do a medium dark greyish tile and then strip the cupboards and paint them a white. The door knobs will be replaced too. Hopefully this will work with the mustard yellow stove- this trailer is 30 years old, so it is very 70's with the wood paneling EVERYWHERE!!


UNGH. The paneling is sooo dark! This hallway could use a coat of paint. Hans' grandma is skeptical of us painting the paneling, truthfully I am too, but this is so drab I have got to do something! The light fixture is going to be replaced so my dad doesn't hit his head everytime he comes over. Well, for that matter, most of the light fixtures will get to be replaced soon.


I saved the best for last!!! Our bathroom is horrid! Seriously- I don't mind it, it just makes me laugh it is that ugly. The floral nasty green print coordinates with the yellos tub, toilet and sink. The linoleum is the same shades and that crazy design you could sit and stare at for hours trying to figure out the pattern. A new sink is already in the works. A new shower curtain already bought, and so many plans floating in my head. Wall paper off, new linoleum, tiling another backspash, paint the walls, build a frame around the mirror to make it the focal point. So much to do. Will I get it done in my 3 year time limit?? Oh and the kicker, the washer and dryer are in the bathroom! Convienent!!!


We had such a fun Halloween! It got kicked off with an adult( that sounds naughty!) Halloween Party which was fun as it always is to get together with all of everybody. I love seeing all the costumes and wish I knew which file Hans put them uner so I could post them. Beau and Bonnie won my prize for best dressed- Beau looked hot in that eyeliner and black nail polish. Anyway, then on Halloween we had a bunch of the kids over for a little party and had a great time- I did anyway, I hope the kids did too. We went trick or treating in the "old ward" just to say hi to some folks we hadn't seen in a while. The boys had a great time. Tait slept through it all in his comfy bear outfit and Hiett only fell down two sets of stairs with his AWESOME hoomemade batman mask. I don't know how much longer I will get away with homemade costumes but until then- $6 always beats out $20-40 in my opinion, and I think the kids have more fun being "creative". HA ha. We had a great time and the candy is almost gone already- I swear I haven't helped too much!

My happy boy

My happy boy
How can you not smile when you see that!? Tait hung out on this blanket while we were fishing on Monday- he loves to be outside- and it's a good thing since that's where we are most of the time!

Our hike

Our hike
Yes, that is the road down there. We found this trail off the road up the Five MIle Canyon. We have loved the red rock scenery that is so prevelant in the Parowan area

Birthday Boy riding his new bike

Birthday Boy riding his new bike
He loves riding with Gabe on their"motorbikes"

The swinging of the pinata

The swinging of the pinata
Gabe is the only one who inflicted any damage at all

Argh MAtey!

Argh  MAtey!
Me and my pirate buddies- we had so much fun. Sometimes I really wich I were still a kid ro everyday was a birthday so I had a reason to be all creative and fun

Hiett

Hiett
The birthday crown for the king of the day