Special People, Special Place . . . . 02/07/2010

Good morning!

Please see http://bree1972.wordpress.com for today’s post, “Special People, Special Place”.

Leaving on a jet plane . . . . . 02/04/2010

“All our bags are packed, we’re ready to go . . . . . “

I talked to Ted about half-way to Atlanta, and he told me that Bear was lying out at the corner of our yard, staring down the road, waiting for me to come back.  I said I really didn’t believe that because I leave the house all the time.  “But,” Ted said, “you put your suitcases in the car this time.  Bear knew something was different.”  Awwww . . . . . daddy will take care of you, Bear!

Dawn and I arrived in Atlanta this afternoon early enough to avoid the gridlock of traffic and late enough to get into our room without a wait.  Neither of us has ever stayed at a Drury Inn & Suites, but from what we’ve seen so far, we are impressed!  We locked the car in secure parking, where it will stay for six nights free of charge.  Our room is very nice, with a huge flat screen TV.  We’ve already been downstairs for free popcorn and soft drinks.

We are right across the street from the airport, and tomorrow morning we will jump on the hotel shuttle and be dropped off at the Delta terminal.  We’ve already checked-in online, printed our boarding passes, and checked our baggage online.  Amazing!  Tomorrow morning all we have to do at the airport is give our checked suitcase to a skyhop curbside and go straight to security with our carry-on luggage.  Hopefully, by the time we get to our gate, Mike will be there also. 

Another perk at Drury that just began Feb. 1 is hot food and drinks free from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.  We went down to the lobby around 6 p.m., where they served  hot dogs with chili, baked potatoes with cheese sauce, salad, and nachos. You also get a card good for three free drinks – wine, beer, AND mixed drinks!  We were pretty impressed, as were about 30 other folks staying here!  Tomorrow, before we leave, we will take advantage of the free breakfast! 

The staff has also been extremely helpful, courteous, and nice.  We’ll be back, Drury!

Our flight is Delta 5225 leaving at 9 a.m. Thursday morning, arriving in Flint around 11 a.m.  From there, a 3-4 hour drive to St. Ignace, a 5- minute flight to the island, and a 20-minute taxi ride to the Cottage Inn.  A busy day!

Don’t forget!  Dawn, Jill, Mike and I will be standing in front of the Tourism Bureau webcam at 11 a.m. on Friday (Feb. 5) morning to wave to everyone back home.  If you want to tune in, please be watching http://www.mackinaclive.com a little before 11 a.m. that day.  Once you are on that site, click on the “Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau” link to go to that camera.  “See” you there, and see you back here online Friday morning.

Countdown . . . 02/01/2010

The weekend is over, and the week we leave for Mackinac Island is finally here!  Dawn and I are so excited we can hardly stand ourselves, and Jill is quietly smiling because she can’t wait to see the two Dixie Chicks fighting the snow and cold.  I frankly can’t wait to see it myself! 

It’s been another cold, dreary, wet weekend here in Georgia.  On Friday night we had 3 1/2″ of rain, and the ditches are all full, with some overflowing onto the road.  The creek that runs under the road just down from our house was almost over the road when Ted went to Stripling’s on Saturday morning.  He was concerned that the road might cave in.  That has happened in two other places on Flintside since we have lived here – effectively stranding us until road equipment could get in and “fix” it.

One bright spot in all that gray are the Cardinal families that have started a commune in our backyard.  This winter – no clue why – the brightly colored males and more conservatively dressed females have appeared in droves around our feeder.  This afternoon we counted 10 Cardinals waiting in line for a perch – five males and five females.

This isn't a very good photo - I had to take it through the glass of the sun porch so I wouldn't scare the birds. You can also see what a gray day it was.

 

The island got a sprinkling of snow last week, but today the lake effect snow machine cranked up and dropped two inches of new snow on Mackinac (that was at last measuring, and it was still coming down).  More snow is forecast throughout this week, and temps will be no higher than the 20’s.  All that snow gear Dawn and I bought will get worn – thank goodness!  I was using the live webcam located on top of the Chippewa Hotel this morning, and snapped this photo of the sun coming up over the frozen Straits.  It’s still hard to believe we will be there to see it in person on Friday morning.

The packing process has begun, and the bed in one of the guest rooms is now filled with little piles of this and that.  Turtlenecks, longjohns, snowpants, fleece jackets, fleece vests, hats, gloves, scarves.  Something is surely missing, but I won’t remember what it is until I climb into the taxi with George on Thursday afternoon and start down that long, cold road to town from the airport.  I can just hear me saying, “Oh no, George!  I forgot my (whatever)!  I’m going to freeze!”  And George will just nod and say, “Yep.”

 Here’s the plan for the rest of the week, good Lord willing.  My next post will be Thursday morning.  I plan to write from the hotel on Wednesday night.  Dawn and I will spend the night in Atlanta and jump a jet, along with Mike Forrester, on Thursday morning at 9 a.m. (Delta 5225).  We should be in Flint, MI by 11 a.m.  Jill will meet us at the airport, we will load all our stuff in the SUV Mike has rented (oh please, Lord, let it be really, really BIG), and we will drive 3-4 hours to St. Ignace.  That means we will get to cross the Mackinac Bridge!  If we don’t make the last scheduled flight from St. Ignace to the island at 3:45, Mike has chartered a flight at 6 p.m.  Hmmm, I think that means we would be taking off and landing in the dark  in that little 5-seater Cessna - not real excited about that, but what’cha gonna do!

From Thursday morning until we get back home on Tuesday (Feb.9), the plan is to post something to this site everyday.  I will be posting the same information to the Mackinac Island blog – IF I can do them both at the same time.  If not, I will let you know WHICH blog to go to http://bree1972.wordpress.com (island blog) OR http://bree1976.wordpress.com (lake blog).

I can’t wait to share the trip with all of you, and please get ready to laugh, because I feel sure Dawn and I will be like two fish out of water up there.  We’d all appreciate your prayers for safe travels and for our families we are leaving here at home.  Stevie and Ted have been wonderful about us going.  Love you guys!

See you Thursday morning (or you might go online between 10-11 p.m. Wednesday night, and I should have it posted).  God bless.

“You’ll never know that God is all you need until God is all you’ve got.” . . . Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life.

P.S.  By the way, Bear is still petitioning to go with us.  You gotta give him high marks in persistance!

Never Eat More Than You Can Lift 01/29/2010

Today’s title quote was uttered by the beautiful, charming, and famous . . . Miss Piggy, of the Muppets. 

And I totally agree with Miss Piggy on this concept, having at times eaten so much that lifting myself away from the table proved to be an almost impossible task.  The holidays are prime examples of times we overeat – Christmas, Thanksgiving (especially Thanksgiving!), Mother’s Day (which means all the children come home, we moms get to cook, and since it’s our children we’re cooking for, we make everything that said children ever once in their entire lives mentioned even remotely liking).  All excuses to eat – more than we can lift.

Asking for casseroles this week stirred up lots of overeating memories – my Mom’s sweet potato souffle’, Ted’s Macoroni & Cheese (I always thought my Mom made the best Mac & Cheese until Ted perfected his own version), pot luck suppers at church (and church Homecomings), anything sweet that Marianne Lashley cooks  - the list goes on. 

Because they have so many different ingredients and flavors, casseroles are designed to get all our taste buds armed and ready to explode.  They are obviously well-loved in the South AND the North, because I received twice as many recipes this week as I did dessert recipes last week.  Again, I can’t use everything you sent on this post, but another casserole day will be planned soon – so dust off the ones you haven’t emailed, and plan to send some more.  I think I’ve chosen some pretty diverse recipes for today.  If you don’t see yours here, you can bet it will be used next time.

A special thank you to Lana Stuart of http://www.lanascooking.com for the beautiful photo of her seafood casserole.  Lana has been out of town, but she promised to send this recipe to me the next time we do casseroles.

Here goes!

WESTERN SPAGHETTI (submitted by Charlotte DeBroka, Mishawaka, IN)

From Charlotte:  “This is one of our family favorites. For the 38 years my in-laws had a cottage on a lake in Michigan, we had this the day we opened and closed the cottage. Now when any of us have it, lots of great memories come back to us.”

• 1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained of grease
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1/2 lb. spaghetti – cooked and drained
• 1 can tomato soup
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can cheddar cheese soup
• You may add green peppers, onions, or anything you desire. 

Mix all ingredients together, and pour into a lightly greased 9 x 13″ dish.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.   

From Charlotte:  “Can be made ahead and kept in refrigerator until time to cook.  May need to bake a little longer after being in frig.”

____________________

MINNESOTA TATER TOT HOTDISH (submitted by Jane Kemp, Minnesota)

From Jane:  “In Minnesota, there is no such thing as a ‘casserole’!!  Any dish served hot is called a ‘Hotdish’!  The Tater Tot Hotdish is the ‘cadillac’ of all hotdish recipes for us – a favorite when the snow and cold arrive.  It’s so popular that at our annual State Fair, a version of it is served up deep fried and on a stick!”

• 1 or 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cans Campbell’s cream soup (pick any two of mushroom, celery, or chicken).  Use undiluted – DO NOT ADD WATER!
• 1 soup can milk
• 1 can (regular size) mixed vegetables (Jane uses Veg-All Brand)
• 1 (32 oz.) bag frozen tater tots (Jane uses Ore-Ida)
• Salt & pepper to taste

Brown ground beef with onions; drain well.  Place in large mixing bowl.

To the ground beef mixture, add the 2 cans of soup, milk, and canned vegetables.  Stir together gently.

Spoon mixture into a greased 9 x 13″ pan or glass baking dish.  Cover with a solid, single layer of tater tots, placing them in rows (see photo).

Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees until mixture is bubbling and tater tots are brown and starting to get crispy – approximately 45-50 minutes.  Let set 5-10 minutes so removal from pan is easy. (Cooked casserole should not be soupy).

From Jane:  “Of course, true Minnesotans serve this with catsup for the top!  Goes nice with a vegetable or green dinner salad.”

Serves 8

____________________

 

ASPARAGUS CASSEROLE (Submitted by Ed Feagin – Lake Blackshear, GA)

Don’t you just LOVE it when a man can cook!

From Ed:  “This is the first thing my daughter, Stacy, asks me to make when they come to the river.”

• 2 (15 oz.) cans asparagus spears
• 1 (6.5 oz.) can mushroom stems and pieces
• 6 boiled eggs – sliced
• 1 can either cream of mushroom or cream of asparagus soup
• 16 oz. sharp, shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 (2.8 oz.) can French’s Fried Onions

In a 2 qt. casserole dish, layer in this order:

• 1 can asparagus
• 1/2 can mushrooms
• 3 eggs, sliced
• Salt and pepper

Spread a layer of soup over eggs.  Spread a layer of cheese.  Sprinkle 1/4 can onions over cheese.

Repeat, using the rest of onions as the last layer.

Bake, covered, at 375 degrees approximately 1 hour.

____________________

CHICKEN NOODLE CASSEROLE (Submitted by Alice Kelley – Temperance, MI)

From Alice:  “Yummy and really good warmed up the next day..wonderful leftovers!!”

• 12 oz. No Yolk Noodles
• 8 oz. shredded cheese (can use low fat)
• 4 oz. can mushrooms (drained)
• 1 lb. cooked chicken breasts, cut up or 1 or 2 large cans chicken breast
• 3 jars Heinz Chicken Gravy
• 1 tsp. garlic salt
• Dash pepper
• 16 oz. can mixed vegetables (drained)
• 2 cups crushed reduced fat potato chips

Cook noodles by package directions. 

Mix cooked noodles and all other ingredients except potato chips and half the cheese.

Pour into 9 x 13″ pan (sprayed with Pam).  Top with potato chips and remaining cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

____________________

CABBAGE CASSEROLE (Submitted by Jan Webster)

From Jan:  ” This one is definitely a ‘comfort’ food, but also gets in that cabbage that so many don’t like.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

• 1 large head of cabbage, shredded (about 12 cups)
• 1 onion, chopped (1 large, or 2 small)
• 6 Tablespoons butter or margarine, divided
• 1 (10 3/4 oz.) can condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• 8 oz. process American cheese, cubed (Jan uses Velveeta Light)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs

Cook cabbage in boiling, salted water until tender; drain thoroughly.

In a large skillet, saute onion in 5 Tablespoons butter, until tender.  Add soup and mix well.  Add cheese; heat and stir until melted.  Remove from heat. 

Stir in cabbage, salt & pepper. 

Transfer to an ungreased 2 qt. baking dish. 

Cook bread crumbs in remaining butter until brown.  Sprinkle over cabbage mixture.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, or until heated through.

Serves 6-8.

____________________

SICILIAN SUPPER (Submitted by Samille Posey – Lake Blackshear, GA)

From Samille:  “This recipe was in the Macon Telegraph newspaper over 30 years ago.  I used to make it a lot for my son, Doss, as it was one of his favorites.  Now Doss, 33, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, asks for this every time he comes home from Boston.  Until I put it in the recipe book I made for him, he would often call me to get the recipe, so I’m thinking it’s pretty good.  It’s easy too.”

• 1 lb. ground chuck
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 3/4 cup milk
• 8 oz. cream cheese, cubed
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese and/or Mozzarella cheese (Samille uses Mozzarella)
• 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
• 2 cups egg noodles, cooked

Brown meat, add onion, and cook until tender.  Drain grease.  Add tomato paste, water, salt and pepper.  Simmer 5 minutes. 

Heat milk and cream cheese; blend well.  Stir in 1/4 Parmesan (Mozzarella) cheese, garlic salt, green pepper, and noodles. 

In casserole dish, alternate layers of meat sauce and noodle sauce, beginning with meat on bottom and ending with noodles on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.

____________________

G-DADDY’S MACARONI AND CHEESE (Submitted by Ted Horton, Lake Blackshear, GA)

I have to apologize here to Alice from Michigan.  After I promised to submit Ted’s recipe for Mac & Cheese (saying it was the best I’d ever eaten), she sent me HER version, and I have to admit it sounded pretty darn good.  But I promised G-Daddy’s recipe, so here it is.  Alice, I’ll get yours in on the next casserole day.

• 8 oz. elbow macaroni, cooked
• 2 (8 oz) packages shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup mayonaisse
• 1/2 cup milk

Stir together all ingredients except 1/2 cup cheese.  Pour into lightly greased 9 x 11″ baking dish.  Sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese on top.  Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

Serves 6.

Today’s post should keep everyone cooking and eating for several days to come. They all sound delicious, and I can’t wait to try each and every one – well, except for Ted’s, of course.  His is already a winner in MY book!

See you all on Monday, good Lord willing.  God bless!

 

“All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.” . . . Ralph Waldo Emerson 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Southern Hospitality – Resort Style

Going for that walk yesterday had me determined I wasn’t going to fall back into couch potato mode.  Another beautiful day presented itself here on the lake – still a little cool because of the breeze – but considering next week I’m going where the high today (with wind chill) was -2, I thought I could stand 61 and breezy.

I’ve been planning to write about the Lake Blackshear Resort and Golf Club, and it was a good day to ride over there and take some pictures.  I put Bear in the backseat of the car, threw his tennis ball in with him (so he wouldn’t think he was going to the vet), and we were off.

The Lake Blackshear Resort and Golf Club is inside the 1300+ acre Georgia Veterans Memorial State Park.  There are several different areas to the park – the Resort, the Veterans Memorial Museum, the SAM Shortline Train, the golfcourse, the campgrounds, the beautiful wooded areas, and of course – the lake.  Today is all about the Resort.

I stopped at a big open area, where model airplane enthusiasts fly their planes, to throw the ball for Bear.  After about 15 minutes of ball returns and running around to check out all the new smells, he was tired enough to go exploring with me and not be too rowdy.

You’ve heard me mention the Cypress Grill several times in this blog, and you’ve seen the inside.  It’s part of the Resort – the newest part.  It sits right next to the water, and in the summer we dock the pontoon boat at the Marina, and the “Grill” is only a few steps away.  I would call it the “locals” part of the resort, although we eat at Cordelia’s in the main building, and love 88’s Lakeside Bar (more on all that later).

Cypress Bar and Grill. It is operating on winter hours now, and I was there about two hours before the Wednesday opening of 5 p.m. Live entertainment on the weekends.

Out on the deck there are these great misting fans that keep you cool in the summertime. They also have portable heaters, if you want to sit outside on a cool evening during winter. That's the Resort Lodge up on the hill.

 

In the summer, the Marina rents waverunners and fishing, ski, and pontoon boats to visitors wanting to get out on the lake.

 

Private boat owners pay to moor their boats in slips at the Marina.

A view from the Marina up to the Resort. By the way, that houseboat on the left is for sale. If you're interested, I can get details!

Bear, waiting for me to catch up - as usual. Please note that I am obeying the State Park rule that states "your dog must be on a leash". He is.

These brightly colored chairs, sitting between Cypress Grill and the Marina, made me wish for spring. That area of sand in front of the chairs is used by children to play volleyball in the summertime.

From the Marina, we got back in the car and drove up to the Resort.  Several years ago, when I was still working, I was in charge of planning the Georgia School Public Relations Association conference, and begged to have it here at the Resort.  I wanted to prove that south Georgia had a wonderful conference center – with great activities, wonderful food, and friendly people.  The conference WAS held here, and with the help of Terry McKenzie at the Resort, it was a huge success.  Late one afternoon I enlisted Ted and bunch of his buddies (and their pontoon boats) to take the conference members on a lake tour.  They had a blast!

The walkway between the Resort Lodge and Cordelia's Restaurant.

The pool behind the Lodge. Matches the sky, doesn't it.

The outside of Cordelia's Restaurant. The restaurant, and the nearby town of Cordele, were named after the eldest daughter of Colonel Samuel Hawkins, who was President of the Savannah, Americus, and Montgomery Railroads.

 

The Conference Center, with a long porch and rocking chairs!

There are three types of accomodations at the Resort. The Lodge (the tall building) has 14 rooms. There are also eight villas, each with eight rooms. Lakeside cottages are also available.

One of 10 rustic lakeside cottages. Each cottage has two bedrooms two full baths, kitchen, fireplace, screened patio, and outdoor grill and picnic table.

Inside the Conference Center.

Another view of the Conference Center, looking out to the lake.

The hall between the Conference Center and Cordelia's Restaurant. The doors on the right open into conference rooms and ballrooms. The doors on the left open to the porch with the rocking chairs.

 

The cozy 88's Lakeside Bar - with piano, fireplace, and view of the lake.

Cordelia's Restaurant. In the summer, you can eat out on the porch under the ceiling fans.

Other highlights of the Resort include: 

• The Liberty Lady – a group/party boat available for rental.  It accommodates groups up to 50, is air conditioned, and 60′ long.  Full food and bar service is available. 
• The Georgia Veterans Memorial Golf Course, on Golf Digest magazine’s list of four star-rated courses. 
• Weddings!  Dozens of weddings take place at the Resort each year – some traditional, some casual – some in a ballroom, some on the shores of the lake under the stars.

Are you ready to book a weekend or a week here yet!   When the Resort opened in November of 2002, Ted and I were so excited to have this fantastic addition to what we already considered a great life on the river.  The pictures above really don’t do it justice, because all the beautiful summer flowers are missing.  But I hope you have gotten a little bit of the flavor of this wonderful resort.  And if you decide to visit, give Ted and I a call – we’ll come get you on the pontoon boat (with some coats and blankets and give you a tour of the ri’vah.  Ya’ll come!

P.S.  Don’t forget to send your casserole recipes to me at brendasumnerhorton@hotmail.com by Thursday (Jan. 28) afternoon!  I hope you saw the update I added to the recipe information on yesterday’s post, but just in case you didn’t, here it is again.  If there is a family history that goes with any recipe you send, please send that also.  I love history recipes!  And – if you’re ok with it – I’d love to be able to add your town and state to the recipe.  If you’d rather keep that personal, no worries.

“When faith is strong, troubles become trifles.  There can be comfort in sorrow because in the midst of mourning, God gives a song.” . . . Billy Graham

Bear Takes a Walk!

Hi!  Bear here! 

I know Mom has been fussing about having cabin fever, but good grief!  How does she think Maddie and I feel!  Do you know how many walks we’ve been on since we got home the first of November?  Exactly zero.  Nada.   Zilch.  None.  RIDICULOUS! 

I know, I know.  We have the yard to run in – and that’s good.  But do you know how boring it is to run around this yard 50 times a day!  I mean, you can only sniff these trees so many times.  Of course, Maddie doesn’t get as bored as I do ’cause she can sit in one place for hours waiting for a piece of grass to move.  And when it does – WHOA BUDDY!  She is digging like her life depends on it.  I have never seen such!  I mean, a lot of days I just lay out in the yard and watch her.  She gets all excited when she finds something called a mole at the bottom of that hole.  Moles are little, scrawny, white, and GROSS!  I wouldn’t touch one if you paid me.  Well, maybe if you paid me with hamburger I could touch it – maybe. 

Anyway, today the sun was bright, and the sky was blue, and Mom and Dad said the magic word – WALK!  They got out the collars and halters and leashes, suited Maddie and I up, and away we went.  Man, when I got outside that fence, I thought I had died and gone to doggy Heaven.  

Here’s our walk today in the pictures that Mom took.  I wrote captions under each one so you would feel like you were walking right along with us. 

This is the road we live on. It's called Flintside Drive. It's called that because the road is beSIDE the FLINT river. Humans are so clever.

Here's my favorite road at the ri'vah. When we turn down this dirt road off Flintside, Mom takes the leash off, and I am free to run. You might think that Maddie is off her leash too, but let me assure you Dad has a firm grip on that little speed demon. Wow! I haven't smelled this road since May of 2009. Hmmm - I think there's a new dog in the neighborhood.

  

This is looking back toward Flintside. Sometime we come back this way, and sometime we come back on the paved road.

Here's the next dirt road we walk on - which runs along the water. It's kind of like a triangle. Paved road, turn on dirt road, turn on another dirt road, turn back on paved road. I will draw a map for you if I can find some doggie crayons.

Here's me and Mom on the walk. I love her new hat, which she is taking with her to Mackinac Island. I've begged and begged to go, but she says it will be too cold for me. What! I might not have a hat and a scarf, but I have a fur coat for Pete's sake.

  

Can you see that gray stuff on that tree? That is Spanish Moss. Mom says it looks like something out of a gothic novel, whatever the heck that is. She said that moss grows on a lot of large trees in the south because it is hot and humid here. It is a plant that lives off other plants. It won't kill the tree it's on, but since the sun can't get the the tree's own leaves, sometimes the tree grows a lot more slowly. That's kinda sad, isn't it.

See all that water beside the road? When you have as much rain as we have had, it fills up all the ditches and overflows into people's yards. Mom won't let me wade in this water, and it would be over Maddie's head.

One of our neighbors has planted all these Leyland Cypress trees along the road. He planted them before I came to live with Mom and Dad, and now they are almost Christmas tree size. I don't think he would like it if people cut them down though.

Here we are heading back down Flintside on the way home. Notice the leash on Maddie.

Here I am again, waiting for everyone to catch up - notice that I don't have a leash.

This creek runs under our road a few hundred yards from our house. Right now it is big and swollen. In the summer, when the weather has been dry, it is just a little trickle. Mom won't let me wade in there either. Sometime Mom is too strict.

And here I am telling Dad and Maddie that this is our driveway.

I was pretty tired when we got home because Dad and Mom haven’t been exercising us like they should.  I told Mom again that if she would let me go with her to the Island, I would be a very good dog, not do anything annoying, and get in lots and lots of running around in the snow.  She just laughed and said, “No, Bear.  It’s going to be a lot colder on Mackinac Island than when we were in Arkansas in the snow.”  

As soon as Mom sat down in the den, I went into the bedroom where all the stuff she’s taking with her to Michigan is piled up.  I helped myself to a couple of things, and then walked out to see what she’d say.  

 

Well, dang!  After she quit laughing and told me what a good “try” that was, she STILL said no.  Something about I wouldn’t fit under the seat in the airplane, and did I want to ride in the belly of the plane in a cage.  No ma’am, I don’t.  Guess I’ll just wait for summer. 

___________________________________ 

(Updated 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday-updated material in green)  Time to ask for recipes for Bree’s Recipe Day on Friday.  This week let’s do casseroles.  These can be side dish casseroles or “meal in a dish” casseroles.  Casseroles are very popular in the South and a favorite item to take to pot-luck dinners.  Please email your casserole recipes to me at brendasumnerhorton@hotmail.com by late Thursday afternoon.  Make sure to include all the ingredients, clear instructions, and how many your dish serves.  I promise to give you Ted’s Macaroni & Cheese casserole recipe, which is the best I have ever had.  Jordan and Matthew’s favorite mac & cheese is GDaddy’s! 

Does the recipe you are sending have a special family history?  If it does, please include the story with your recipe.  And please don’t forget to give your city and state (if you don’t mind providing that – no problem if you’d rather not).  

 “I’ve read the last page of the Bible.  It’s all going to turn out all right.”  . . . Billy Graham

“Feels So Right” 01/26/2010

That big storm we were supposed to get last night fizzled out before it got here.  We had about five minutes of high wind and torrential rain, then it was all over.  This morning the sky is rapidly transforming to blue through the clouds, and there is the promise of a beautiful, if cool and windy, day on the ri’vah.   

After the storm

With all the days I’ve been spending inside lately because of the bad weather, there’s been plenty of time to think about what I want to do with this year.  Remember all those resolutions we made back on the first of January?  If you are like me, the majority of them revolved around personal goals – walk more, shed some pounds, read more, complain less, pray more.  Another goal of mine was to try and make this blog and the one on Mackinac Island more interesting, thereby increasing my readership. Looking at each of those goals more closely, it isn’t hard to see that they are all about one person – me. Where are the resolutions about doing more for others?    

The book I was reading this weekend that I just couldn’t put down was “Same Kind of Different As Me“.  Julie gave it to me for Christmas, giving it very high marks.  It’s the true story of how one woman made the most important difference she could make in a homeless man’s life.  From that beginning came a story that changed a whole city.  I highly recommend it, and I had the story on my mind this morning when I was straightening up the house.  I was listening to a traditional country station, and the band Alabama, sang “Feels So Right” – one of my all-time favorites.  And I thought, “I could meet every one of my personal goals and still not “feel so right’ as when I do one small thing for someone else. 

I’m writing this on Monday, and the wonder of another week lies before us all like an invitation.  How will we answer?   Couldn’t we all try to do just one thing that helps someone else this week.  The opportunities abound.  We could visit a neighbor, call a friend we haven’t heard from lately, fix dinner for a lonely senior citizen - and then go eat that dinner with them.  What about that caregiver who we know needs a morning or an afternoon to just get away for a little while.  Maybe a sick neighbor’s dog needs walking.  A visit to a nursing home, even if we don’t know any of the patients, would be such an act of love.  I’m sure the desk clerk could tell us someone who hasn’t been visited in weeks – or months.  Is there a single mom in your neighborhood who is trying to juggle working and children?  I’ve been there and done that, folks.  It’s hard.  You wouldn’t believe how much she would love for someone to call and say, “I’ll have dinner waiting for you when you get home today”.  I know my readers who are working everyday themselves will find this much harder to do.  But what about inviting a new employee to lunch, or offering help to a co-worker who is struggling with a deadline. 

What a gift we give ourselves when we give to others.  It will just ”feel so right”.  I promise. 

Just waiting his turn.

“God is so big He can cover the  whole world with his Love and so small He can curl up inside your heart.”. . . from an email sent by a friend.

Mix Bag Weekend 01/25/2010

Everyone at the lake is beginning to suffer with cabin fever (my apologies to my northern readers – I know we really can’t comprehend cabin fever like you do after you are snowed in for months).  But the weather has just not been normal.  This time of the year we are normally out in the boat at least 2 days a week.  You can do that easily with temps in the high 60’s, no wind, and bright sunshine.  Hasn’t happened.  Even though the temperatures have risen this week, it has rained, the wind has blown 20-30 mph, and the sun has been hiding for way too long.  

On Friday, I finally got out of my pj’s at 2 p.m.  Ted was working so the dogs and I curled up on the porch and read all day (well, I read – they slept).  Saturday started out much the same way, but later that afternoon a bunch of us met at Cypress Grill for snacks and drinks.  Each couple ordered a different appetizer, passed it around, and by the time we had sampled everyone’s dish, there was no need for supper.

Dawn and Stevie brought their precious granddaughter, Addie, who is two.  Of course, whenever a “grand” joins this bunch, they are the center of attention!

Addie and Stevie, who she calls Big Daddy.

Addie and her Dee Dee

High five's!

Sunday has been really strange.  Outside, there is just an eerie feeling – too hot, too windy, kinda green looking.  As I write this on Sunday evening, we are under a tornado watch.  The wind has blown consistently today at 15-30 mph and our ri’vah is boiling.  With the anticipation of 4″ of rain, the lake has been lowered once again, and the waves this afternoon have been wilder than I’ve ever seen them.

The wind had wave after wave flying across the lake to seawalls.

Waves smashed against our seawall, throwing water several feet into the air.

I have never seen the waves swirl into eddys like this.

The forecasted storm with 70 mph winds and all the rain is still an hour away.  Should be an interesting night on the ri’vah.

I wanted to share a few pictures Jill sent today.  She went to one of the many Polar Plunges held in the northern states – where lakes freeze, and perfectly sane people go jump into holes chopped in the ice.  In Lansing, where Jill is, these brave souls collected money from sponsors to benefit the Special Olympics, a wonderful cause.  Jill said this was her third year being an avid supporter . . . from the SHORE!  The plungers come singly or in teams and wear all kinds of costumes.

The group waiting represents the National Guard. The man jumping in never lost his red shoes or slipped on the ice when he got out.

Lansing firefighters

The Polar Queen and her court

Detroit Lion Drew Stanton and one of his teammates.

When Stevie saw these pictures, he challenged Dawn to do the Polar Plunge while we are on the island.  I promised her if she did, I would record it for all to see – from the SHORE!

Gotta go watch the end of the Minnesota/New Orleans game – yes you did read that right.  After not watching a single game this season, this one is important – I LOVE Brett Favre, and would love to see him win another Super Bowl (or at least play in one) - go Minnesota!  Sorry, Cathie, but I always pull for the old guys.

Oh – rain’s here!

“When we rest, we place our confidence in something outside of ourselves.  Jesus gives us the confidence we need to escape the frustration and chaos of the world around us.  Rest in Him and do not worry about what lies ahead.  Jesus Christ has already taken care of tomorrow.” . . . Billy Graham

Life Is Uncertain – Eat Dessert First. 01/22/2010

The famous quote by Ernestine Ulmer used as today’s title says it all, doesn’t it?  How many times as a child did we pick our way through peas, cauliflower, and – dare I even say it – L I V E R – just so we could get a piece of that pie our moms had pulled out of the oven HOURS ago!

DESSERT – I mean just the word makes my mouth water.  The funny thing is until I hit 40 (a couple of decades ago), I really wasn’t a big dessert eater.  Oh, I liked ice cream (chocolate), candy bars (chocolate), and cake (chocolate) – are you beginning to see a pattern here?  But did I have to have it everyday?  Not even close!

My wonderful husband Ted knows I have a chocolate tooth, and he also knows I have absolutely NO will power when it is around the house – but neither does he.  The problem is he can eat pounds of the stuff nightly and never gain an ounce.  I can look at an M&M and go up a dress size.

One of the maddest I have ever been at Ted was one night after I had spent a WEEK on a diet.  I had asked him to please not put anything chocolate any place I could remotely see it, smell it, or hear it melting.  After dinner that night, Ted came into the den with a coffee cup.  Now that should have been a clue to me because he never drinks coffee after dinner – but I was busy and not half paying attention.  After a few minutes, I glanced over and noticed Ted “sipping” from the cup – except he was taking little jerky sips.  And it seemed to me that I could hear whatever was in the cup “rattling”.  He saw me watching him and said, “What?”

“What’s in the cup, Ted?” I said, suspiciously.

“Nestle’s semi-sweet dark chocolate pieces,” he said, innocently. 

I reached over and grabbed the cup, and sure enough – it was half-full of little morsels of chocolate.  What a sneak!

Now you know the reason I started Bree’s Recipe Day with Desserts.  I received more than I can use , but I am going to keep them all, and we’ll get around to Desserts again soon.  Eventually, they will all be published. 

ENJOY!

 AUNT BETTY’S NUTTY PIE  (Submitted by Joanne Sawatzki – Lansing, Michigan)*

*Recipe was updated at 7:44 a.m. Friday, January 22, 2010, with additional instructions written in blue.

• 3 egg whites
• 1 cup crushed soda crackers/saltines
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 cup ground walnuts or pecans
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• Pinch salt
• ½ pint whipping cream (whipped) – or Cool Whip

Beat egg whites until stiff.  Add baking powder and salt.  Gradually add sugar and beat until shiny.  Crush crackers and fold into egg whites with nuts and vanilla.

Pour mixture into WELL GREASED 9” pie plate (make sure to grease even the lip of the pie plate because as the mixture bakes and expands, it will come up over the lip.  Bake approximately 45 minutes in 300 degree oven.  When cool, spread whipped cream over the top and sprinkle with nut pieces for garnish.  Make day ahead and keep refrigerated until needed.

_____________________

 PRETZEL DESSERT (Submitted by Alice Kelly – Temperance, Michigan)

• 2 cups crushed pretzels
• 3/4 cup melted margarine
• 3 tsp. sugar

Combine ingredients above and press into 9 x 12 inch baking dish.  Bake at 400 degrees for 8 minutes.  Cool.

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 (9 oz.) Cool Whip

Combine cream cheese, sugar, and Cool Whip, and spread on top of cooled pretzel crust.

• 1 (6 oz.) strawberry jello
• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 (10 oz.) pkgs. frozen strawberries (with sugar)

Combine jello, water, and strawberries, and pour on top of cheese mixture.  Refrigerate until jello mixture is firm.

____________________

 FUDGE STRIPED COOKIE DESSERT  (Submitted by Jane Kemp – Minnesota)

• 1 (3.5 oz.)  package vanilla instant pudding mix
• 1 cup buttermilk or sour cream
• 1 pk. Keebler fudge striped cookies, crumbled.  Set aside. (The Keebler brand cookie seems to work/taste the best.)
• 1 reg.size can pineapple tidbits, drained.  Do not used CRUSHED pineapple.
• 1 regular size can mandarin oranges, drained
• 1 (12 oz.) tub Cool Whip, thawed
• 2 bananas, sliced.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together dry pudding mix and buttermilk or sour cream with a wire whip. Mixture will be lumpy. Fold in thawed Cool Whip, and blend till smooth. Add pineapple and mandarin oranges. About 1 hour before serving, fold in the bananas and cookie crumbles. (Cookies will get soggy if you add before this, and the bananas will turn dark).

SERVES 6-8

____________________

 TEXAS SHEET CAKE (Submitted by Lana Stuart – Atlanta, GA)

• 2 cups sugar
  

  Besides being a fabulous cook and one of my best friends in the whole world, Lana is also an unbelievable photographer. The picture of the beautiful pie cooling in today's header is hers, as is this photo of a square of her Texas Sheet Cake. You can find many more recipes from Lana at http://www.lanascooking.com.

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup butter or margarine
• ½ cup shortening
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 cup water
• ½ cup buttermilk
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Chocolate Icing (see below)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease and lightly flour a 15×10 inch jellyroll pan. Set aside.

Sift together sugar and flour in a large bowl; set aside.

Combine butter and next 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until butter and shortening melt.  Remove from heat and pour over sugar mixture, stirring until dissolved. Cool slightly.

Combine eggs, buttermilk, baking soda and vanilla.

Stir into the sugar and chocolate mixture.

Pour into prepared jellyroll pan.

Bake at 400 for 20 minutes. Start making the icing when the cake has about 10 minutes left to cook.

Spread warm cake with Chocolate Icing. And don’t worry about those dips and cracks. They all even out with the icing and no one will ever know they were there!

Chocolate Icing

• ½ cup butter or margarine
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 16 oz. package powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Combine butter, cocoa and milk in a medium saucepan. Cook over low heat 5 minutes or until margarine melts. Then turn the heat up to medium and bring to a boil. 

Remove from heat and stir in sugar and vanilla. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth and the sugar dissolves. Stir in pecans.

My sister makes this recipe and she cuts it into tiny little squares about 1 1/2 x 1/2 inches. Me, I make big old brownie size squares. About 4 x 4.

However, you slice it up, it serves a huge crowd of people. I made one for a neighborhood party last weekend and the large slices filled two plates with slices stacked three deep.

____________________

STRAWBERRY DELIGHT (Submitted by Bree – Lake Blackshear/Mackinac Island)

Bet you thought I was going to give you a chocolate dessert, didn’t you!  I have made this Paula Deen recipe over and over again – for family, for parties, for pot luck suppers.  I always bring the bowl back empty.

• 1 large Angel Food cake (I get mine at WalMart’s)
• 1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
• 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 cups whipping cream
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 2 (10 oz) pkgs. frozen, sweetened, halved strawberies, thawed.  (I can never find 10 oz. pkgs. of strawberries, so I just try and get as close to 20 oz. as I can).  Fresh strawberries DO NOT work for this recipe.  You need all that juice in the thawed out berries.

Cut Angel Food cake into cubes – about the size of walnuts.  In small mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and condensed milk, mixing until smooth and completely blended. 

In separate medium bowl, whip cream with sugar, until stiff peaks form.

To assemble:  In a trifle bowl (or any pretty glass bowl), layer half the Angel food cake cubes, cream cheese mixture, whipped cream, and strawberries.  Repeat layers in same order, using remaining ingredients.  Refrigerate several hours before eating.

Ok – here is your mission, should you decide to accept it.  Make one of these delicious desserts this weekend and receive lots of hugs and kisses from your family.  OR – throw some chocolate chips into a coffee mug and sip slowly.

See you Monday, good Lord willing. God bless.

“Many people who have been used of God were great sinners and seemed unreachable.  Don’t give up on anyone.  There is no person beyond the grace of God.” . . . Billy Graham

This and That 01/21/2010

Some days there just isn’t anything that jumps into this old brain to write about.  At least not anything that could justify several paragraphs.  So here are a few blips that ran across my radar screen this week that, when put together, add up to today’s entry.

• The post about Stripling’s sausage store brought more readers to my blog than almost any I have written so far in south Georgia.  Lots of folks chimed in about their favorite Stripling product, and I was reminded several times that I should have mentioned the famous Stripling’s beef jerky.  Since I’m not a big fan of jerky, I didn’t talk about it.  And boy did I hear about it! 
• The Stripling’s post also brought an e-mail from Lisa Harden, who with her husband are co-owners of the stores.  When I was writing the story, I kept trying to remember the connection between Stripling’s and my daddy, but it just wouldn’t come to me.  Lisa reminded me that she was a newlywed and my daddy’s secretary at the Bank of Worth County (now SunTrust) when she, her husband Ricky, and Ricky’s dad decided to buy the “Sausage Kitchen”.  She said she remembers that my dad was worried about this new venture they were starting.  I laughed and said I was so glad he had lived to see that “new venture” begin shipping their sausage all over the world!  I also remembered that daddy ran up to the river quite often to buy those sausage – which he declared “the best!”
• While sitting on the porch this afternoon, Ted and I heard the roar of the sea plane that frequently practices taking off and landing on the lake right in front of our house.  I grabbed my camera and tried to get a couple of shots, but the plane was landing and taking off on the far side of the river from us.  My zoom isn’t great, but I think you can see the plane pretty well.

Coming in from the south.

 

Below the treetops.

Safely down. The plane landed, then revved its engines and immediately took off again, still going north.

Seeing that plane always brings back good memories for Ted and I.  When we married in 1989 – in March – we had to postpone our honeymoon because my sons were being confirmed at Porterfield Methodist Church in Albany that weekend.  On Saturday morning, we used the picnic lunch friends Helen and Rho had packed for us and rode to Veterans Memorial State Park.  We ate at a picnic table out on the point where the Lake Blackshear Retreat is now and watched a sea plane take off and land over and over again.  Never would we have thought that six years later we would move to the lake, and 15 years later be watching sea planes practice landings from our home on the ri’vah.  And yes, we DID get our honeymoon the next week – we went to Gatlinburg, TN.

• While I was out on the dock with the camera, I took a couple  of other photos.

I loved the way these clouds looked, reflected in the water.

 

The huge nest at the top of the far right cypress tree belongs to an Osprey family. Ospreys are fish-eating birds of prey, usually 2 feet in length, with a wingspread of 6 feet. In the spring, this nest will be filled with eggs, then babies. Ospreys hover far above the water until they spot a fish, then plunge into the water feet first to capture it. They seldom miss.

• We’re in for bad weather here on Thursday, and I have to go into Albany with Bear – time for grooming.  It seems to never fail to rain on grooming day.  Bear will come home all fluffy and gorgeous and clean, immediately spend 10 minutes outside playing in the rain because he’s been cooped up all day, then come in looking like a drowned rat – well, more like a drowned bear .

Don’t forget to email your dessert recipes!  I’ve already gotten several, and I can’t wait to share them with you on Friday.  See you then!

“Angels minister to us personally.  We may not always be aware of the presence of angels.  We can’t always predict how they will appear. But angels have been said to be our neighbors. Often they may be our companions without our being aware of their presence.” . . . Billy Graham