Thursday, August 25, 2011

Thankful Thursday



Today I am thankful for...

~sunrises.

... and of course now this is running through my head.



Wishing you a wonderful day...

~Regi




(image of Portland Headlight from google images)

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Wedding!


The wedding was beautiful, the weather was lovely and a wonderful time was had by all.

Friday, August 19, 2011

A family affair


We are going to a wedding tomorrow. My niece Sarah is marrying the love of her life, Zach, in a small simple ceremony at his parents house. He will be going off to boot-camp at the end of the month, so at the last minute the two decided to get married before he goes.

After the marriage ceremony we will be having some yummy food and a wedding cake his mom is making. I am bringing a large tossed green salad (with three choices for salad dressing) and a couple different types of cookies I make that Sarah likes. No-bake cookies and peanut butter blossoms. Since my sister "borrowed" my copy of the family cookbook I am going to use the Hershey's recipe for the peanut butter cookies.

No-Bake Cookies

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp cocoa
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3 cups oatmeal (quick oats)

In medium saucepan, combine first 5 ingredients and bring to boil over medium heat and then let boil for 2 minutes, stirring. Remove from heat, add in peanut butter and oatmeal. Drop on waxed paper. Let stand, turn and let dry completely. Store in refrigerator or place in ziploc bag.


Peanut Butter Blossoms (adapted from the Hershey's website)

48 Hershey's kisses
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
2 tbsps milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Remove wrappers from chocolates.

Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl till well blended. Add in the 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugars, beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla, beat well. Sift together (or stir with fork in glass bowl for those of us without sifters) flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.

Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 - 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie, cookie will crack around the edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for:

~hugs
~smiles
~kisses
~dandelions in a jar

What are you thankful for today?

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Home at last..

Its now Wednesday and I think I am finally recovered from the camping trip. We had a wonderful, splendiforus, awesome time. The weather was beautiful, when the rain hit it was the middle of the night while we were all snug in our sleeping bags... and then it drizzled a teensy bit the day we left but all that did was stop us from dragging our feet and we managed to leave the camp grounds when we planned instead of being lulled into staying just a bit longer.

For food we had the following: Saturday we had grilled hamburgers and chips, cut up veggies followed by smores and margaritas for the adults. Sunday we had pancakes and turkey bacon for breakfast, sandwiches, chips and veggies for lunch, grilled chicken, corn on the cob, rolls and butter for dinner followed by more smores and margaritas. Monday morning we had cold cereal and leftovers for breakfast and then we packed up and left.

We swam, played cards, used a paddle boat, fished, played ladder ball, read books, wrote in journals and reconnected. It was very relaxing.

We did have a few injuries and mishaps... my niece fell on a path and got a scrape.. my nephew burned his hand on a metal fork while trying to roast an apple over the campfire, my brother in law cut himself while setting up the tent and my crew got sunburns on Sunday because we were silly and didn't wear sunscreen when we went to the lake. Sunday night when it rained I found a leak in our tent in the middle of the night. I rolled over and landed in a puddle of water on my air mattress... I was too tired to do anything but move over a bit and fall back to sleep. We will definitely have to either see if we can rain proof the tent more or better yet take the sucker back to Beans because the two times we have used it... it has leaked. But... all in all we survived, and the good times far outweighed the bad.

In regards to the promised photos... I think I took maybe 2 pictures the entire weekend, we were all having too much fun to stop and find the cameras... least that was the case with me. I will have to see if my eldest took any photos I can share.

Anyways... I had a blast and can't wait till we go again. I'm definitely not going to wait another 9-10 years to camp again.

*hugs*
Reg

Friday, August 12, 2011

We are going camping...


Woohoo...This weekend we are going camping. I can't wait, its been a long time. You would think, living in the great state of Maine that we would take each and every opportunity to get outside but really I'm an indoors kinda gal. I can't stand bugs, don't like being cold or wet, and i prefer my food on clean plates and eaten in front of a lovely TV program. So... what about camping appeals to me? All those things I just listed would mean camping wasn't for me you would think. But... camping for me is all about spending time sitting in front of a campfire with s'mores in hand. Getting up early before the birds are awake and breathing in the chilly air and just being thankful for such an opportunity. Whittling away at a stick for no other purpose then to make it smaller... playing cards with friends and family with no object except to talk to them.. who cares who wins or loses as long as we are doing it together.




I have been kind of lonely since we moved a few years ago. Its very different then how life used to be for us. Everyday I would see my neighbors and it wasnt uncommon for the talks in the driveways to lead to talks over coffee or tea in someones house. I couldn't go to the library or the store without bumping into someone i knew. Here though, our nearest neighbor is over a mile away and people seem to keep to themselves a lot... we don't shop in a neighborhood grocery store but in a large store in the state capital( we live way out in the country), and unfortunately most of my college classes this semester are going to be online ones. Now that I have most of my general education classes done for my degree, the rest of them are online. I could swap to a different degree program which would require more on campus classes, and I am actually contemplating that for a few reasons. I really enjoy going to class and having that interaction with the other students and the professor. I am also looking into finding a job which will get me out of the house, bringing in a bit of cash and hopefully some form of health insurance.



Anyway...That's what this camping trip is all about. We are going with Pauls sister and her family. So there will be 4 adults, 2 college students, a 14 year old, a 10 yr old and an 8 year old. We are going to spend the weekend just reconnecting, eating good food, swimming, laughing, and playing silly games. The weather is starting to look like its going to cooperate, we still have all our old gear and only need to replace a few things and I just need to finish getting us packed up.

I will try to take some pictures while we are away... I wont promise to post them though if they turn out horrid. hehe... all that said... I can't wait.

*hugs*
Reg

ps... these are not my photos.. I snagged them from google images. hopefully i have will have some to share on Monday.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Thankful Thursdays

I have noticed that my posts have fallen off just a wee bit lately, and while I do subscribe to the whole "blogging without obligation" premise... I also recognize that if i don't post every so often, it kind of defeats the purpose of having a blog. Its supposed to be a place I explore myself...which let's face it... is kinda hard to do if i don't post at all. *grins*

Soo.... Welcome to my first Thankful Thursday post. Lets get the biggies out of the way first.

I am thankful for my husband, who is my best friend. <3 We have known each other for 24 years... married for almost 23 of them. We met when we were both in my best friends wedding, where I was the maid of honor and he was the best man. The date was August 12th and I remember thinking he was very quiet, and that he was way too tall. One year and 2 weeks later we were married and have been going strong ever since.

I am also very thankful for my wonderful girls, who let me see the world through their eyes. I am so, so very thankful that we were blessed with them. Sometimes I wonder how these intelligent strong young women came from the two of us.

I am thankful for us... we have had some real ups and downs as a family and somehow have weathered them all. Sure we have gotten a bit dinged up... but we are still strong and we have each other.



Paul and Eileen.



Paul and Maddy



Its not the best picture of the husband and i but a wonderful one of the girls... (We were at my father-in-laws retirement dinner). From left to right its the husband, me, Eileen and Maddy.

I am very very thankful for my family.

~Reg

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Mosaic Meme.

Its a Mosaic Meme... I originally found the instructions for this at Wisdom of the Moon




1. Regina Bike Path, 2. Pepperoni Mushroom (home made), 3. Brunswick, 4. Teal-Purple Cuff Links, 5. Cowboys & Aliens Daniel Craig Harrison Ford, 6. Whiskey Sour, 7. Ireland for Sale..., 8. Mud Pie, 9. Writer's Weapon, 10. Family., 11. The Seeker, 12. Untitled

The instructions to create the mosaic are:

Type your answers to each of the questions below into Flickr Search .
Pick an image.
Copy and paste each of the URLs into the mosaic maker.

Questions:
What is your first name?
What is your favorite food?
What high school did you go to?
What is your favorite color?
Who is your celebrity crush?
Favorite drink?
Dream vacation?
Favorite dessert?
What do you want to be when you grow up?
What do you love most in life?
One word to describe you.
Your Flickr name.

Baked Ziti to die for...

1 pound ziti
1 pound ground beef
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
Garlic powder to taste
½ cup chopped green pepper
½ cup chopped onion
Large jar pasta sauce
¾ package cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 cup ricotta cheese
Mixture of shredded ched. + moz.
1-2 tbsps butter
Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta as directed on package. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium pan sauté the onion and green pepper till translucent. Remove from pan. Add ground beef with seasonings to pan and cook till done. Drain, add onions and green peppers back into pan, add pasta sauce. Simmer for 20 minutes.

In small bowl combine sour cream, cream cheese and ricotta, set aside.

Mix drained noodles with butter and Parmesan cheese. Coat a 9x13” inch pan with pam. Place prepared noodles in pan, spread cheese mixture on top of noodles and cover with meat mixture. Sprinkle with cheddar/mozz cheese.

Cover and bake for 25 minutes until bubbly. Uncover and bake for 5 more minutes till cheese is bubbly.

Also very yummy with no meat or veggies… just noodles sauce and cheese mixture.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Irma Bombeck

IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER

by Irma Bombeck

...I would have talked less and listened more.

...I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.

...I would have eaten the popcorn in the "good" living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

...I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather rambling about his youth.

...I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

...I would have burned the pink candle sculped like a rose before it melted in storage.

...I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.

...I would have cried and laughed less while watching television, and more while watching life.

...I would have gone to bed when I was sick, instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.

...I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

...Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment, realising that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

...When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner.

...There would have been more "I love you's" and more "I'm sorry's". . . but mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute . . . look at it and really see it . . . and never give it back.