Headin' to Cajun Country

~ Casey Jones Bar B Que ~

a special place from Mr. H.'s childhood :-)

Location...Cut and Shoot, TX

Highway 105

east Texas piney woods

Welcome to Louisiana! :-)

The Lord of the Rings
The Return of the King

Baked Ratatouille Boats
(from Taste of Home's Heathly Cooking magazine)
8 servings

2 cups cubed eggplant
1 medium zucchini, chopped
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 small onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 teaspoons oil
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 medium green peppers
4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese or part-skim mozzarella cheese, cut into 8 pieces
2 teaspoons minced fresh marjoram or 3/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
for topping
3 tablespoons panko (Japanese) bread crumbs (I used regular bread crumbs)
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon olive
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Place eggplant and zucchini in a large bowl; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and toss to coat. Cover and let stand for 30 minutes. Rinse with cold water; drain and pat dry. In a large skillet, saute onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add eggplant mixture, tomatoes, pepper and remaining salt. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat. Meanwhile, cut green peppers in half lengthwise; discard seeds. Place in a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Place about 3 tablespoons eggplant mixture in each pepper half; top with a piece of cheese and sprinkle with marjoram. Top with tomato sauce and remaining eggplant mixture. Cover and bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until peppers are tender. Combine the topping ingredients; sprinkle over peppers. Bake, uncovered, 3-5 minutes longer or until topping is golden brown. Enjoy!

Rainy Afternoon

For the past few days,

we've been enjoying the last hurrah

of wintry cold and wet weather.

Nothing is better when there's rain on the window pane

than a spirited game of monopoly! :-)

And, it's especially fun to use your little lego men

as your playing pieces. ;-)

Baked Oatmeal

Baked Oatmeal
6 servings

2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
2/3 cup brown sugar
3 cups oats
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Combine eggs, oil and brown sugar. Combine oats, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; add to egg mixture, stirring just until moistened. Spoon into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Serve warm and enjoy!

Breakfast ~ the most important meal of the day! :-)

Show and Tell Friday

For Show and Tell Friday, hosted each week by Kelli, I would like to share the letters that my children brought home from the Space Exploration Day for Home School Students at the George Bush Library and Museum. While touring the library center they received a "personalized" ;-) letter from President George Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush answering a question that they chose to "ask" them. My son's was from President Bush and my daughter's was from the First Lady. I thought the letters were so nice.

Thank you for visiting the George Bush Presidential Library Center. We hope you enjoyed your day with us.

You ask, "Is there a quotation that best expresses your outlook on life?"

From an early age, I have enjoyed reading, and there are a number of favorite passages from the Bible and from writers such as Lincoln and Churchill that have given me great inspiration. but I think my favorite quotation is one I chose for the frontispiece of my autobiography, Looking Forward. The quotation is from Edward Everett Hale, Chaplain of the United States Senate and author of the book The Man Without a Country.

Look up, and not down;

Look out, and not in;

Look forward, not back;

And lend a hand.

That quotation captures the spirit of how I have tried to live my life, to be optimistic, to look for the best in people,and to do what I can to help others. Something of the same spirit led me to start the Points of Light initative when I was President, to encourage Americans to become involved in one on one voluntary efforts to improve our communities, to make community service central to their lives and work. I have often noted that any definition of a successful life must include serving others.

Again, thank you for spending time in our Library.

All the best,
George Bush

Thank you for visiting the George Bush Presidential Library Center. I hope you enjoyed every minute of your time here.

You asked which First Ladies I most admire. That's a hard question to answer, because I admire every woman who has accepted the great privilege, and responsibility, that comes along with that daunting title. But I will choose three: Pat Nixon, Lady Bird Johnson and Laura Bush.

Patricia Nixon was a woman of enormous grace and quiet, unshakable dignity. She was kind and considerate to everyone she met, an excellent mother, and a strongly devoted wife to her husband, through good times and bad. I will always remember her presence and her air of serenity. And most people don't know how much Pat Nixon did to make the White House a more beautiful, gracious place for visitors and residents alike. She is also responsible for the White House being lit at night, a beautiful sight for visitors.

Lady Bird Johnson was a wonderful, funny, generous woman who personified Texas hospitality. She had a buoyant sense of humor, and she too was a loving wife and mother. As First Lady, Lady Bird chose a cause that is very dear to my heart, the beautification of America, and I can never see flowers growing along a highway without thinking fondly of her.

Laura Bush is a strong and intelligent woman who I am proud to have as a daughter-in-law and First Lady. Her calmness and composure after September 11, 2001, brought comfort to the nation as it dealt with this great tragedy. As an advocate of literacy myself, I am happy that Laura chose reading as one of her major causes, in addition to women's health, and preserving our nation's cultural and natural heritage. She also has become a wonderful ambassador abroad for her husband and our country.

All First Ladies have brought something special to the role. For me, I know one thing for sure: I had the best job in America. Every single day was interesting, rewarding, and sometimes just plain fun.

Warmly,

Barbara Bush

Southwest Chicken Corn Chowder

Southwest Chicken Corn Chowder
6 servings

1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon oil
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
2 cans (14-3/4 ounces each) cream-style corn
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste
shredded cheddar cheese
chopped cilantro

Saute onion and garlic in oil until tender. Stir in the broth, soup, chicken and chilies until blended. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; stir in the corn, milk, chili powder and cumin. Heat through (do not boil). Sprinkle each serving with cheese and cilantro and enjoy!

Greek Chicken Penne

Greek Chicken Penne
6 servings

2 cups uncooked penne pasta
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 small onion, chopped
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
3 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1 cup artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained and chopped
1/3 cup Greek olives, sliced (I just used regular black olives)
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon Greek seasoning*

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, place tomatoes in a small bowl; add boiling water. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. In a large sauce pan, saute onion in butter until tender. Stir in flour until blended; gradually add broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Drain and chop tomatoes; add to the pan. Stir in remaining ingredients. Drain pasta; add to the pan and heat through.

Space Exploration Day for Home School Students

The George Bush Presidential Library and Museum hosted a Space Exploration Day exclusively for home schooled students. My children and I (and 250 others!) had the great pleasure of attending today. The programs were fascinating and lots of fun!

We attended a class entitled "Reaching the Future", given by a NASA Aerospace Education Specialist, where we learned about the Constellation Program. The program is designed to send human explorers back to the moon, and then onward to Mars and other destinations in the solar system during the next decade.

A NASA space shuttle project engineer, specializing in space suit technology, talked to us about how space suits are designed and tested. We got to see and touch the parts of a space suit and we learned a lot of interesting facts about life as an astronaut!

A NASA mission control employee of Johnson Space Center taught us about the International Space Station and the Space Shuttle during his talk entitled "Help Us Take the Next Human to the Moon and Beyond". (In this class I learned that my son knew the names of all five shuttles...and I did not! ;-)

We also enjoyed a self-guided tour of NASA's mobile "Driven to Explore" exhibit where we touched a moon rock! And a self-guided Museum tour of the current display "Beyond the Moon: NASA's Continuing Mission" which will be at the Library through August 2009.

There was a small amount of time for a brief stop through the main part of the museum to learn a little bit more about the lives of our 41st president, George Herbert Walker Bush and first lady Barbara Bush. :-)

love this!

having a "chat" with President Bush :-)

taking a peek into the White House

an actual piece of the Berlin Wall

We are very blessed to have such wonderful educational opportunities so close to home. Please visit The George Bush Library to learn more about the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum and NASA to explore the wonders of our great nation's space program!

Balsamic Chicken

Balsamic Chicken 

4 servings

1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the flour, pepper and salt. Add chicken, one piece at a time, and shake to coat. In a large skillet, cook chicken in oil over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. Remove and keep warm. In the same pan, cook onion until tender. Add water, stirring to loosen browned bits. Add the vinegar, thyme and rosemary; cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened. Serve over chicken.

Children enjoyed this and Mr. H. loved it!

Lemon Streusel Muffins

Lemon Streusel Muffins
1 dozen

1/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 cup cake flour (I used regular flour)
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup lemon juice (I used 1/4 cup lemon juice and 1/4 cup water)
1/2 cup lemon yogurt
4 egg whites
for streusel
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon cold butter

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until crumbly. Beat in egg yolks and lemon peel. Combine the flours, baking powder, salt and baking soda; add to the butter mixture alternately with lemon juice and yogurt. In a small bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold into batter. Grease muffin cups or use paper liners; fill two-thirds full with batter. For streusel, combine the flour, brown sugar and nutmeg; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over muffins. Bake at 375° for 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.

Perfect for summertime! :-)

Linked to Gooseberry Patch Recipe Roundup.

The Lord of the Rings
The Two Towers

Supper Menus
March 9th-14th

Monday
basalmic chicken breasts, sauteed fresh green beans and tomatoes, new potatoes, dinner rolls
Tuesday
swiss steak, twice baked potatoes, lettuce and tomato salad, dinner rolls
Wednesday
greek chicken penne, spring mix salad, focaccia bread
Thursday
southwest chicken corn chowder, jalapeno cheese cornbread
Friday
baked ratatouille boats, amish potato bread
Saturday
take out pizza :-)

Many of these menu items are from my latest issue of Taste of Home's Healthy Cooking. Please stop by later in the week for pictures and recipes of our favorites. :-)

Please be sure to visit Laura at Menu Plan Monday!

Spring Forward!

illustration courtesy of www.allposters.com

"Spring Ahead" by Carol Robinson

Peace

With eager heart and will on fire,

I sought to win my great desire

"Peace shall be mine," I said; but life

Grew bitter in the weary strife.

My soul was tired, and my pride

Was wounded deep: to Heaven I cried,

"God grant me peace or I must die,"

The dumb stars glittered no reply.

Broken at last, I bowed my head,

Forgetting all myself, and said,

"Whatever comes, His will be done;"

And in that moment peace was won.

~Henry Van Dyke

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”

James 4:13-15

Couch to 5K Update

It has been one week since I began the Couch to 5K program and I just completed my 4th "run". And, let me tell you, it was H-A-R-D! But it was wonderful at the same time. :-) There is nothing like doing something that you really thought you couldn't do!

Today's workout increased the running time from 60 second intervals to 90 second intervals. (Oh, and by the way, Couch to 5K calls this "jogging" - which I refuse to do. ;-) This is hard. It is running. And I want credit where credit is due!)

The thing that I am noticing about running is that it is really so much harder than walking or doing aerobics. I am also noticing that I am not in as good a shape as I thought I was! Yes, I know I need to loose a few pounds (Actually at my short stature, I need to lose more than a few! ;-) But, more important to me than what the scale says, is the condition of my heart (physically and spiritually). I can walk all day and I can do aerobics for quite awhile without getting too winded, but running? It is really challenging. But you know...I've always loved a good challenge! :-)

Life

"Let me but live my life from

year to year,

With forward face and

unreluctant soul;

Not hurrying to, nor turning

from, the goal;

Not mourning for the things

that disappear

In the dim past, nor holding

back in fear

from what the future veils;

but with a whole

And happy heart, that pays its toll

To Youth and Age, and

travels on with cheer.

So let the way wind up the

hill or down,

O'er rough or smooth, the

journey will be joy:

Still seeking what I sought

when but a boy,

New friendship, high adventure,

and a crown,

My heart will keep the courage

of the quest,

And hope the road's last turn

will be the best."

~Henry Van Dyke

"Look not mournfully into the Past. It comes not back again. Wisely improve the Present. It is thine. Go fourth to meet the shadowy Future, without fear, and with a manly heart."

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

"...let us run with patience

the race that is set before us,
looking unto Jesus

the author and finisher of our faith..."

Hebrews 12:1-2

Happy Texas Independence Day!

Texas Independence Day is the celebration of the adoption of the Texas Declaration of Independence on March 2, 1836 at Washington-on-the-Brazos.

"Texas is a state of mind.

Texas is an obsession.

Above all, Texas is a nation in every sense of the word."

~John Steinbeck

"Entertaining at Home" is fun!

Oh did I have fun hosting a Taste of Home's "Entertaining at Home" party a few weeks ago! Have you heard of it? I love Taste of Home - we go way back! ;-) Some friends are Entertaining at Home consultants. To host - I mailed invites, opened my home and provided refreshments. The consultants did everything else. So fun! And check out my goodies...

"italian stitch" espresso set

for Mr. H.

a lovely and practical
gramercy cookbook shelf

can't wait to try out this
mandoline slicer

and lov-ing these!
venetian plaque medallions

Not hung yet, but are planned to "fancy up" the master bath.

Love

them. :-)

The best part? The party earned me $50 in free product, 3 half priced items and no shipping charges. Pretty cool. :-) All the guests also got a February special free gift with purchase. And since most of the things I chose were on clearance, my "Entertaining at Home" goodies cost me all of $20 ~ total. Definitely worth the effort. ;-)

Check out www.entertainingathome.com

and host a party today!

The year’s at the spring
And day’s at the morn;
Morning’s at seven;
The hill side’s dew-pearled;
The lark’s on the wing;
The snail’s on the thorn;
God’s in his heaven –
All’s right with the world.

~Robert Browning
The Year’s at the Spring, 1870

“Flowers appear on the earth;

the season of singing has come…”

Song of Solomon 2:12

illustration courtesy of www.allposters.com

"Springtime on the Farm" by Konstantin Rodko