Here's an easy put together dinner that makes enough for the whole family - a simple Ravioli Lasagna made in the slow cooker. It's easy to put together in advance, and forget about it until a few hours later. Just add garlic bread and a salad for a complete meal! I used up a few … Continue reading The Amazing Slow Cooker Lasagna to Make For Family
Roasted garlic has a nice mellow garlic flavor, not the sharp bitter flavor of fresh garlic. Roasted garlic cloves turn into soft spreadable garlic that is easily pushed out of the garlic head. I use it multiple ways – in mashed potatoes, mixed with mayo for a bread spread, into pasta dishes or rubbed onto … Continue reading The Best Easy Way to Make Roasted Garlic At Home
Seasonal Changes Colorful leaves – Whether you prefer the red and orange maples in the northeast or golden aspens in the Rockies, autumn brings dazzling displays. Cooler weather – and no bugs! Sweatshirt hoodies and cozy sweaters – pull them out of storage, or buy a few new ones, it’s time for long sleeves again! … Continue reading The Best 25 Things (or more!) I Love About Autumn
There are few things that equal the sudden loss of a four-footed family member. This recently happened to our household. One night when I couldn’t sleep, I was up reading at about 2.30 AM. With a blanket on my lap, both Tommy and Squeeze, two of our house cats were on my lap. For an … Continue reading When a Pet Suddenly Dies – How to Cope with the Loss
The cold crept back again 2 nights ago. Yesterday, the snow arrived. Heavy, all morning. And by evening, it was over knee deep with 18 inches on the ground. Night arrived as the clouds departed. Now it’s even colder outside with clear skies, stars from heaven blinking away, and a large yellow moon hung in … Continue reading A Surprise Sighting of the Owls of the Night
I retired a month ago. I sold my business and took down the proverbial shingle. So now what? Retirement used to mean you put in your 25 – 30 years, maybe even 40 years, collected the gold watch, and went fishing. If you had a pension you started collecting on it and filed for Social … Continue reading What Does Successful Retirement Look Like For You?
A Life Lesson: It’s the little things that count How often do the things that went wrong plague your thoughts? The harsh words spoken, an accident, a plan that went awry…. Our minds often tend to focus on things that were hurtful, a mistake or we delve into “what if” thinking. What if we change … Continue reading Can You Count the Important Things in Your Life?
Sometimes old logic works just as well as new gadgets. My mom was not a fancy cook, just good filling food to feed a farm family. Lots of it came from a large garden, preserved with love. Other things were just simple - pancakes for dinner for instance, a meatless meal but one we kids … Continue reading 3 Fantastic Kitchen Hacks from my Mom
Yogurt is an ideal base for meat marinade, says Michael Symon in his book Fix It with Food. Like me, Michael has Rheumatoid arthritis, and the book is about eating to avoid foods that trigger RA flares and inflammation. His recipe uses a whole chicken to roast, but I decided just to try chicken thighs. … Continue reading Super Easy Roasted Chicken with a Yogurt Marinade
I am a bird watcher....usually from my porch or deck, sometimes while walking in the woods. I enjoy watching them change colors in the spring, and the migrating transients that pass by, raise clutches of babies in bird houses and bushes all summer, and then somehow survive the cold and snow of a northern winter. … Continue reading How to Make Perfect Homemade Bird Suet Cakes