Trevor's birthday, part 2

Trevor had something specific in mind to do with a friend in honor of his birthday. We picked Kurt up and headed downtown for lunch. This was the same place we went on Monday, only a different location.



It was definitely the best Mexican food I've had in a long time. I couldn't even stop to take pictures before eating.



We walked across the street to the pottery place. The boys had been here in the spring, and Trevor's looked forward to doing it again ever since. They picked out the same pieces, geckos that they can hang on their walls, and went to work, painting for over an hour. I read a book and listened to their chatter in the background.



We'll pick up the finished, fired pieces later in the week.

Thursday

Robert took my car in because of a noise it's been making for several weeks. Somehow, I bent a heat shield near one of my rear tires. He's nicely alluded to the possibility of me driving over a curb; I think I hit a rut on a friend's dirt road. Priuses are only meant for pavement, of that I am sure.

When the car was fixed, he brought it to me at work, and we went out to lunch. Even after three years, he's never had the pleasure of diner dining in Stickville, and he wasn't particularly interested in changing that. But I convinced him to give The Hub a try.



It's the kind of place where you see people you know, and we did. We saw a judge, a couple who frequents the library, and our tax guy. It wasn't even lunchtime yet. It's the only place I can ever imagine ordering a tuna on rye, and Robert ordered a hamburger. Now he's glad he went; he said it was the best burger he's EVER had. And I believe him. Stickville is great for many things, kind of like California. It's a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there.

SOCCER starts up--AGAIN!

Our fifth season of soccer didn't look like it was starting out very well.



But it did. We have several new players on both teams, and overall, the players' ages seem to be younger. We're excited for the fresh start, for the opportunity to watch each team learn to play together and grow together.



Soccer this year has been similar to the night's weather--first the gray rain early in the year, and now clear sky and sunshine. :)



But it's all good!

Weekly menu

Dilled Chicken Pasta Salad
Shrimp in Garlic Wine Sauce; broccoli; rice or pasta
Parmesan Chicken, ??
Potato and Red Onion Frittata; salad
Sandwich Night (I'm not sure yet what that means)

should make these: Giant Breakfast Cookies

On the back burner:
Chicken Kebabs with Creamy Pesto
BLTs
Caesar chicken salad (need to post "recipe")
Orange Chicken
or Lemon Chicken
chicken souvlaki
crockpot tacos

Ah-mazing Stovetop Pork Ribs

Cooked on the stovetop, my rib-loving family proclaimed these the "best EVER." Easier and quicker than many rib recipes, these were so very tender and flavorful. Dinner was even mostly silent as everyone wanted to just eat and not speak. I'm not that into ribs (way too messy!), and these were an outstanding exception.

Stovetop Pork Ribs

10 pork spareribs*
1/2 c. soy sauce
10 cloves garlic, crushed
1 T. dried rosemary
1 T. dried oregano
2 bay leaves
1 lime, juiced (I used bottled lime juice)
6 sprigs fresh parsley (I subbed a bunch of dried parsley)
ground pepper to taste
2 limes, cut into wedges

Place spareribs in a large, shallow pot. (*See note below.) Fill with just enough water to cover. Add soy sauce, garlic, rosemary, oregano, bay leaves, lime juice and parsley. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered over medium heat until the water has completely evaporated, about 25 mins.

When all of the water is gone, remove the bay leaves and allow meat to brown, turning occasionally. Use a spatula to scrape up browned bits from bottom of pot, and toss them back on the meat. Remove the meat, drain on paper towels. Season with black pepper and garnish with lime wedges.

*Note: I am not sure if I used the right kind of "pork spareribs." I bought a long rack and then cut them into groups of 4-5. I still had to cover them with quite a bit of water, which took an hour to boil off. I found this recipe ONLINE HERE, and next time I hope to read through the hundreds of reviews to find out exactly what kind of pork I should be using.

Oh my goodness, this was sooooooo good . . .

My elusive daughter

seems to float through walls.


Occasionally we catch a blurry, faded glimpse of her


as she dashes past, avoiding my camera.


She knows me all too well.

And another birthday

But it was mine, so I was in no hurry to rush that along.

I was greeted with this in the morning.





And this in the afternoon.



Our evening was spent at the soccer coaches' meeting. I'm not complaining. Families were welcome to come along, and since I HAVE A NEW HOUSE FOR MY BIRTHDAY!, it's just a hop, skip, and a jump away. We went to the coaches' meeting together, and enjoyed pizza, salad, and seeing several friends whom we've not seen since spring. It was an almost perfect day. :)

Trevor's 12th birthday!

Do I tell the oh-so-slanted story about how, twelve years ago, Robert and I dragged ourselves out of the house and made it to the hospital by 6 a.m. for me to be induced? How he left for a four hour bruncht back at home with Holly, I was left on my own to flash every.single.person on the maternity ward, until a kind nurse covered up the rest of me? How Rob made it back to the hospital just in time to see our 10 lb. baby Trevor born, barely beating the doctor into my room? It did go something like that, you know. Or should I stick to the facts?

Still a morning person, Trevor was up bright and early, ready to begin celebrating this special day.



He enjoyed two rounds of present-opening, one before the mail came, and one after.

Don't believe everything your Mom says, kid.

He chose Alejandro's for lunch. This was extra special, as he's the only one in our family who's been here before, and he was eager to share a favorite place with the rest of us.



He spent some of the day playing a new Zelda game, and talking on the phone with family (not simultaneously, I'm happy to report).

I'd spent considerable time last night working on his cake. He still thinks I can do anything, that no challenge is too small for me. I was intrigued when I found an easy way to make a "buttercream transfer" onto a cake, and Trevor asked for a Hylian Shield (from Zelda). It turned out amazingly well. I guess it's important that it tasted great too!



It was a lovely day. Trev's less than an inch shorter than me, making it all to obvious that my baby is growing up.

hApPy bIrThDaY, tReVoR!!

Recipe -- (favorite) Spinach Salad

I'm finally caught up on posting recipes, yay!

Many, many, (many, many) years ago, my mom sent me a lovely set of cookbooks from the Palo Alto Junior League. Flipping through these books today, reading my penciled in notes alongside the recipes, brings back a flood of memories from years past.

SPINACH SALAD

1 bag of spinach, cleaned
5-6 slices of bacon
3 T. bacon drippings from above bacon
2 T. orange juice
2 T. cider vinegar
2 T. currant jelly (in a pinch, I'll use raspberry or grape)
1/3 to 1/2 c. sliced almonds

Place spinach in salad bowl. Fry bacon until crisp; drain on paper towels and reserve 3 T. drippings in the pan. Add orange juice, vinegar, and jelly to skillet. Just before serving, whisk and bring to a boil, then pour over spinach. Toss with bacon and almonds.

You can also add sliced mushrooms, shredded cheese, chopped hard cooked egg, croutons, etc.

Recipe -- Potato Chip Chicken

When making this the first time, I was in a huge rush. I didn't crush the chips enough, and I burned the chicken. Even so, everyone enthusiastically agreed that this dish was a keeper. I think my kids found the name quite appealing, too.

POTATO CHIP CHICKEN

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 T. butter, melted
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper
1 to 1-1/2 c. crushed potato chips

Coat chicken with melted butter, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roll chicken in potato chip crumbs. (I put crumbs in a heavy duty freezer bag, and then put in chicken, one piece at a time.) Place on a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish and bake at 375 for 45 mins. until done (may take less time).

Serve with mashed potatoes.

Recipe - Tuna Bread Salad

This did not go over well at my house, but I liked it. It was a super fast summer dinner, and I'd make it again for a ladies' lunch.

TUNA BREAD SALAD

1 c. halved cherry tomatoes
salt and pepper
1 can great Northern white beans, drained
1 can tuna, packed in oil and drained (I used tuna packed in water)
1 shallot, thinly sliced (I used garlic? onion? both?)
1/4 c.. sliced pitted Kalamata olives (I used more!)
1/2 long baguette, cut into cubes, stale works great (I used another kind of loaf)
2 t. Dijon mustard
1 T. balsamic vinegar
3 T. oil
2 T. roughly chopped fresh basil

In a medium serving bowl, add tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Let sit for ten minutes before adding the beans, tuna, shallots, and olives.

In a small bowl, whisk together mustard, vinegar, oil, and basil. bread cubes to salad, toss, and then top with dressing before tossing again. Serves about 4.

Trevor's recipe for Potato Wedges

My lovely boy made these a few weeks ago. It was a wonderful addition to our dinner, even more appreciated as I was working that day and wouldn't have had time to make them when I got home.

POTATO WEDGES

4 medium baking potatoes
1 T. oil
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. salt or seasoned salt
1/4 t. pepper

Cut each potato into 8-12 wedges. Place in a ziplock-style freezer bag. Add remaining ingredients; toss to coat. Arrange in a single layer on a 15x10 baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400-425 degrees for 20 mins.; turn and bake another 20 min. until done.

Book Reviews

Confessions of a Prairie Bitch: How I Survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being Hated by Alison Arngrim

After expressing my disappointment over Melissa Gilbert's book, my sister suggested I might like this one. Alison Arngrim is both witty and sarcastic, writing more of her personal life than her time on the Little House on the Prairie set. While a horrible childhood abuse has affected every aspect of her life, Arngrim discusses it matter-of-factly, gracefully avoided the icky detail that easily overwhelms many child stars' autobiographies.

While any fan of the show may be mildly interested in reading, the book deals with mature themes and is best left for adults.


The Beginner's Guide to Intercession by Dutch Sheets

My familiarity with Pastor Sheets is from Colorado Springs, where he leads a church, and I've enjoyed other books of his in the past.

The title of this book is misleading, not just for beginners, but helpful for anyone wishing to expand their prayer life. While it seemed the book was speaking to me as I was reading it, in the end, nothing "stuck," and I stopped reading near the end. It wasn't a bad book at all; perhaps it just wasn't the right time for me to be reading it, and I remain convinced that my lack of interest stemmed from me, not from any fault of the book.



Who Do I Lean On? by Neta Jackson


(Edited to add: Shouldn't this title read "On Whom Do I Lean?" Too strange.)

This third book in the Yada Yada House of Hope series is the best yet. With her small inheritance following her mother's death in the last book, Gabby looks into the possibility of purchasing multi-unit housing in connection with the ministry of Manna House. The character of Gabby is reminiscent of Jodi in the early Yada Yada books, and I'm enjoying watching the evolution of Gabby as she grows closer to Christ.

There's a parallel novel offered by Neta Jackson's husband Dave, which features Gabby's former doorman Harry Bentley, apparently including some of the men from the Yada Yada books. At this point, I don't have any interest in the parallel story, but I'm interested in the opinion of anyone who's read it.

Fog

Along with most of the east coast, this summer has been unusually hot. We've had less than ten days below 80, and we've had more early morning humidity than in the past several years.

I couldn't see the hills this morning.



Our windows are so fogged up, even in the sunroom. The warm, damp air feels so good, and I've been spending my early mornings here before going back into the cold, dry air inside.



Within another hour or two, the fog will burn off, the air will continue to heat up, and I'll be grateful for that coolness inside.

Recipe -- Garlic Bread

Does that seem like an odd recipe to post? Isn't garlic bread easy? What we really like are the ooey, gooey ones with loads of cheese, garlic, chili powder, butter, mayonnaise. For obvious reasons, I've avoided making those for several years. (Oh, that makes me sad!)

In looking for something a little more healthful, I came across this. I didn't feel like I was serving a heart attack on a plate, and everyone scarfed it up. It was simple to make, and I can guess we'll be eating this often.

GARLIC BREAD

4 cloves of garlic, crushed (next time, I'm using 6!)
3 T. butter
3 T. oil
1 loaf crusty bread, split
3 T. grated Parmesan cheese, optional
chopped fresh parsley, optional (do most people really have this on hand? I don't.)

Combine garlic, butter and oil in a microwave safe dish or in a small saucepan. Heat garlic and butter and oil in microwave for 1 minute or in a small pot over moderate-low heat for 3 minutes until melted.

Toast split bread under broiler. Remove bread when it is toasted golden brown in color. Brush bread liberally with garlic oil. Sprinkle with cheese, if using, and parsley. If you added cheese, return to broiler and brown 30 seconds. Cut into chunks and serve.

Hmm. I wonder if I can eat the leftovers before breakfast while everyone's still sleeping . . .

Recipe -- Rice and Shrimp Salad with Corn

An easy, light dinner, my mom shared this recipe with me several years ago. It's been perfect for our hot summer, and it's quite healthy.

1 lb. bag of cooked, frozen shrimp, patted dry
1 c. medium salsa
2 T. oil
5 T. lime juice
1/2 t. cumin
1/4 t. salt
pepper to taste
4 c. cooked white rice
1 can corn, drained
1 red bell pepper, seeded and minced
2 medium green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 c. pimento-stuffed green onion, sliced
2 T. minced cilantro or parsley

Combine salsa, oil, lime juice, cumin, salt, pepper. Spoon a couple of tablespoons over the shrimp and refrigerate while preparing the rest of the salad.
salad.

Combine the cooked rice, corn, red pepper, green onion, olives, cilantro. Stir in the salsa dressing and the shrimp. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

If you don't have time to chill the rice beforehand, this is fine served at room temp. It also makes great leftovers.

My version of Marlboro Man Sandwiches

I've "known" Pioneer Woman way back when she was just another homeschool mom on a message board. I remember her early venture into blogging, and I read her little blog long before she bought her own domain name. But I don't remember her being famous for her recipes. She is now. Marlboro Man Sandwiches have been a long time favorite, but I've deviated much from PW's original recipe. My version:

MARLBORO MAN SANDWICHES

3-4 onions, sliced
~6 T. butter
2-3 lbs. cube steak, or other tenderized steak
seasoned salt
1/2 c. Worcestershire sauce
tabasco/hot sauce
sandwich rolls

Saute onions in a little butter until soft and light brown. Remove and set aside.

Slice cube steak against the grain and liberally season with the seasoned salt. Heat 2 T. butter over high heat (in same skillet) until melted and beginning to brown. Add meat in single layer. Cook one side until brown, then flip and cook until brown, a few minutes on each side. (This never seems to work for me, I might need to try a higher heat to get a brown crust. I usually put all of the meat in at once, and it turns that grayish color, not as bad as that sounds.)

Add 1/2 cup (at least) Worcestershire sauce, 5 to 6 shakes Tabasco, and the last 2 T. butter to finish the sauce. Add cooked onions. Stir to combine.

Sometimes we toast the rolls, but usually not. Everyone else in my family pours on a bunch of barbecue sauce. Sometimes we add sauteed mushrooms too.

Recipe - Pretzel Jello Salad

I'm "cleaning house" today and adding a bunch of recipes. This is another old favorite that I usually make as a holiday side dish. It would be a great dessert too. I was sure it was already here, but I can't find it.

PRETZEL JELLO SALAD

3 c. pretzels, crushed (small pieces, not all ground to fine dust) (this means measure 3 c. of pretzels, then crush)
8 T. butter
3 T. + 3/4 c. sugar
8 oz. softened cream cheese
8 oz. Cool Whip
1 large package raspberry jello
2 c. boiling water
2 small packages (or 1 large) frozen raspberries

Melt butter. Add 3 T. sugar and pretzels. Spread into 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for
13 mins. Cool.

Beat cream cheese and 3/4 c. sugar until well blended. Fold in Cool Whip. Spread over cooled pretzel crust. Be sure to seal the edges, completely covering the crust, and going all the way to the edges. (Sealing well ensures a crisp crust!)

Mix jello and boiling water, stirring until dissolved. Add frozen raspberries (they will thaw). Pour over cream cheese mixture, and chill until set. Serves 12.

Recipe - Fried Broccoli

This was a yummy, fast way to cook broccoli. Don't be misled by the word "fried"! The red pepper adds a surprise hint of hotness.

16 oz. bag of frozen broccoli, thawed
1 T. olive oil
1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes
salt to taste

To "thaw" my broccoli, I nuked the bag for a few minutes. This partially cooked the broccoli, and my family much preferred that to just thawing the bag.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add broccoli and sprinkle with red pepper. Cook and stir broccoli frequently in the skillet until it begins to get browned and crispy, 5-7 minutes. Add salt to taste.

The big stuff

When we first saw this house, I noticed and appreciated all of the nice and new things. Like usual, I'm often oblivious to what I don't want to see. But Robert can always see past those things and notices the nitty, gritty truth.

The front walkway is obvious. Like something in the Winchester Mystery House, it's a walkway leading right to -- the middle of the grass? I have no idea why it was never finished, never extended to the street or driveway.

On the plus side, the house is easy for me to spot on aerial satellite at Google Maps.


Then there's the driveway, which has sunk several inches where it meets the garage. It's bad enough that I'm not able to get my car into the left bay. On my own side, I still have to drive up a good bump--similar to driving over a small curb, so I have plenty of experience there. That's good or bad, depending on how you look at it.

Robert gets the van into this side. I doubt I could.

And then there's the deck. It's structurally sound, but it's one giant disaster with the boards dried up, curling, and splintering. I'd never go out here without shoes. Robert built a deck in Littleton, but this one is quite a bit larger and has a lot of railing. This will be something we'll hope to complete over several years. I can't see any bit of a good side here.



I don't focus on that big stuff. My own big worry was our bedroom closet. The new closet is possibly acceptable for one adult but not at all adequate for two. Most of my clothes remain in boxes or hanging in the hall closet. In fact, the closet is so small, it was the one hang-up I had about buying the house (uh, no pun intended). Robert spent the week moving shelves and adding rods, doubling our space. After looking at the $400 closet organizers at Lowe's, I realize what a blessing it is that he is able to do this. I can hear the drill in there right now.

The walkway, the driveway, the deck . . . those will have to wait. I'm exceedingly thankful for my husband . . . and more closest space.

The new game

I'm an admitted long-time word nerd. More like an ancient word nerd, as I taught myself to read before kindergarten, and as a child, read encyclopedias for fun.

While we were on vacation, Janet and Alex hooked me on Scrabble. Trevor was very interested and quickly learned the game.

I've never been one to "let" my kids win. I would die of boredom; it would take all the fun out of it for me. But I will often encourage them or suggest strategies, and I frequently will give extra points or time to even out the scoring.



But times have changed. Now it's Trevor's turn to level the playing field. His very first word scored 170 points (HORIZONS). Needless to say, he won the game.

Weekly menu

The complete lack of any new recipes indicates a string of mostly unsuccessful attempts, and my desire to keep my husband happy at the dinner table!

Robert's Philly Cheesesteak Pizza
Dad's choice
hot dogs (ooh, Nacho Dogs for me and Trev!), pasta salad
Citrus Grill pork chops, fried broccoli (need to post recipe), spinach salad
pork spareribs, rice, creamed cukes, corn on the cob
Potato and Red Onion Frittata
Caesar chicken salad (need to post "recipe")

should make these: Giant Breakfast Cookies
Hash Brown Casserole

On the back burner:
BLTs
Orange Chicken
or Lemon Chicken
chicken souvlaki
crockpot tacos

Walking the new neighborhood

We already have found our favorite little loop to walk.


We cross one busy road and go about a mile past the houses that back up to the hills.


The home stretch hill is tougher than it looks. At least to me; Holly and Trevor start running about half way up. I don't know if they find it hilarious to leave an old lady behind, or if they are just incredibly anxious to get home.



I try to ignore them and instead focus on the sunset.


It gives me a chance to catch my breath.

Lifesaver

life-sav-er - noun.

1. a person or thing that saves a person, as from a difficult situation or critical moment;

2. an American brand of ring-shaped mints and artificially fruit-flavored hard candy.

3. at my house:

* * *

Since moving in to the new house six weeks ago, we've been assaulted a few times by a horrendous sewer gas smell, which seems to emanate from my bedroom. Seriously.

It does not come from the bathroom, the vents, under the bed, outside, the basement, or any other visible source. It is deathly, and if we go outside to escape it, we can come back inside and catch a whiff from the front door.

It's awful, awful. But then it goes away, and we hope we never smell it again.

For a week or two.

Robert decided to check out the attic in the hopes of finding the problem. The vent pipe was completely separated at the elbow, and it looked like it had NEVER been connected--not in the 30 years since the house was built.

We can't help but wonder. The original owners lived here 26 years. Did they have no sense of smell? Just be glad the odor went away? Over the last four years, the house has only been occupied for a few months. Maybe the woman never smelled it, or maybe this is what drove her from the house.

Whatever the case, once found, it was a very simple fix, and I'm extremely grateful for a husband who knows how to do this stuff.

And I can breathe easy again!

Comments about my car

1. No, it does not plug in! The battery recharges automatically as the car is driven.

2. No, it does not use special gas, just the regular stuff.

3. No, my goal is not to save the planet, I'm more interested in saving gas money.

4. Yes, it has a really cool keyless system, which includes "touch" entry, and a push button start. I just have the key inside my purse, and the radio frequency does all the rest.

5. If I ran out of gas, I am not able to run the car solely by the battery.

6. Yes, I really get about 50 mpg.

7. No, the performance is not subpar. It accelerates like any other car and will hit 60mph in 10 seconds.

Tuesday morning in Lynchburg

I was up at o'dark thirty yesterday morning to take Trevor and a friend to the second of a five day Aviation Technology camp this week. Offered through a close enough (not local!) community college as part of a career exploration series for middle schoolers, the aviation class is held at Liberty University's Aviation School.

The information had come to me via a local hsing email list. There were only 15 slots available in the class, and a friend and I were quick to respond the first morning of registration. Good thing, too, because we know others who tried to sign up two days later and didn't make the cut.

So the bad thing is that it's an hour away (2 hours if we hadn't moved!). The good thing is that we are sharing driving with our friends. I dragged Robert along with me as my chief navigator and entertainment while the boys went to class.



You'd think I couldn't miss it, but I circled the school about 14 times before getting it right.

Scientists aren't necessarily stellar spellers.

We dropped the boys off at class. They built model rockets yesterday and will be flying them today. They'll also go on a field trip to an aviation maintenance facility.


Later in the week, they'll be visiting an Airport Fire Fighting and Police Rescue station, and taking a ride in a Cessna (praying for good weather!).

What to do for the morning in Lynchburg? First stop: Walmart. Second stop:


Third stop: Panera.


You can only drink so much coffee. Fourth stop:


Getting closer to the end:

I should've waved at myself.

It was a nice morning, and Trevor and his friend had a great day. It was nice for me to have Robert's company. I loved Lynchburg. While I've been there several times before, it really struck me yesterday how nice the people are, and what a sweet town it is.

We're looking forward to the progression of the class as the week goes on.

Book Reviews

Prairie Tale by Melissa Gilbert

How in the world do people remember every single, chronological detail of their lives?

This is the usual kiss-and-tell-more-about-your-personal-life-than-anyone-would-want-to-know, a depressing tale of a typical child actor who struggles while growing up, becomes addicted to something, has a messy life, and is clean. For now.


The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff

Beginning in the early 80s by encouraging me to read Steinbeck, my sister has a wonderful talent of recommending great books. As we are polar opposites in every aspect of our lives, this says a lot about how well she knows me, and how well she knows what I find appealing. She recommended this book.

The 19th Wife is two completely different stories brilliantly woven together. It includes the true autobiography first published in 1876 by Ann Eliza Young, variously known as the 19th, 27th, and 52nd wife of Brigham Young. Divorcing Young a few years later, Ann Eliza went on a public speaking tour across the U.S., testified before Congress, and contributed to the passage of federal laws permitting prosecution of bigamy in the Utah Territory.

The second story in The 19th Wife takes place in modern times, involving the fictional murder of a polygamous man in a fundamentalist Mormon sect, and a lost boy of the church whose mother is jailed for the killing.

The 19th Wife is a captivating story giving further insights into the tragedies of a false religion; highly recommended.


Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen

Through a series of essays, the author pokes fun at life growing up as a Mennonite, and the lasting impression on her adult life. Light and easy to read, the first few chapters summed up the entire book, and I could have easily stopped reading then, but I was amused and interested enough to keep reading.

Recipe - Hash Brown Casserole

Not the healthiest food on the breakfast menu, but this is easy and a kid favorite.

Hash Brown Potatoes

24-32 oz. package of frozen hash brown potatoes, THAWED!
2 T. butter, divided
1 can cream of chicken soup (can sub cream of mushroom)
8 oz. sour cream (I used 4 oz. sour cream, 4 oz. plain yogurt)
1/2 c. chopped onion
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper

Saute onion in 1 T. butter until soft. To make things really easy, when the onions are done, toss in the last T. of butter so it will melt in the residual heat.

In a 3 qt. casserole (or larger, this was a tight fit), combine soup, sour cream, salt and pepper and mix well. Add in onion and cheese, and then toss with potatoes.

Bake covered at 350 for 40 minutes. We prefer it the top a bit crunchy, so I take the cover off for the last 10 mins. or so.

--------------------------------

This is such a flexible recipe. The original called for a 32 oz. bag of potatoes, and a lot more butter. I've switched cream soups, used plain yogurt with the sour cream, and put in different cheeses.

Weekly menu

It's been ages since I've posted a menu. I need more organization in my life, and I'm sure this will help.

chicken fajitas, guacamole
Deli Beef Heroes, fruit
chicken Caesar salad (need to post this "recipe")
Tuna Bread Salad
cheeseburgers, pasta salad
Citrus Grill pork chops, fried broccoli, ???
BLTs, ???
pork spareribs, rice, ???

should make these: Giant Breakfast Cookies


On the back burner:
BAHAHA, I can barely get the front burner going at this point!

House tour

Although there are several thousand houses for sale in the Roanoke Valley, we only looked at one. One level living, a garage again, an older neighborhood (if 1980s can be considered "old"), and have I mentioned civilization?



We've already planted our traditional Rose of Sharon by the front door. Since I plan to NEVER move again, I guess we won't be planting these again.

I am the rose of Sharon and the lily of the valleys.
Songs 2:1

Flagstone across the front porch.



The front hallway and the living room,



and peeking into the dining room.



The family room is a little sparse. Eventually, we'll get tables and a rug, but it's not a priority right now. Notice the light hanging in the middle of the kitchen. We ordered a small table five weeks ago and are still waiting for it. By now, we're used to the empty space and ducking under the light. Once the table comes, I know I'll be crashing into chairs every time I turn around.


There's a nice little sunroom. It's been too hot to enjoy much this summer, but it's lovely in the mornings, and we'll use it more when the weather cools a bit.



Flashback to the 1980s, the decade of the Walkman, Pong, big hair, and central vacuuming. My kids tease that I'm stuck in the '80s--understandably, I am fascinated with my vacuum system. It's soooooo kewl!



Trevor's room is about 1/3 the size of his old room. He spends more time in it now though, maybe because it's easy to get to? Closer to everyone else in the house? Perhaps I just see him there now, and I didn't see him before.



The backyard has a bit of a slope, with many bushes, and several pine trees blocking the neighbors behind us.



And of course there's that sunset view that I can't get enough of.



A few more pics will follow later this week.

* * *

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress; my God in Him I will trust." Psalm 91:1-2