Sarah's Choice

 

Morning has always been my favorite time of day. I generally wake up around 6:00 without an alarm clock. For the next hour or so, I have the house to myself, if I don’t make too much noise. That’s more than enough time to make something like this:

 

Farmer’s Breakfast Casserole

 

3 cups frozen shredded hash browns

3/4 cup shredded cheddar

1 cup diced cooked ham

1/4 cup sliced green onions

4 eggs, slightly beaten

12-ounce can evaporated milk

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Butter a 2-quart baking dish. Spread hash browns in bottom. Top with cheese, ham, and onions. In a bowl, combine the beaten eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Pour egg mixture over potato mixture. Bake at 350F 45 minutes, until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Serves 6. 

Four Corners

 

They were sixty-something bachelor brothers, living in a 4-story Harlem brownstone in the 1940’s. Homer Collyer practiced law. Langley was a concert pianist. They had a reputation for being eccentric and reclusive, but when Homer suffered a stroke that blinded him, things got much worse. Langley stayed home to care for Homer. They stopped paying bills, so utilities were disconnected. Doors were wired shut. Windows were boarded and fitted with iron bars. Before dawn, Langley would fetch water from a pump in the park. He’d rummage through trash in search of food and “treasures” to bring home. Langley filled the house – floor to ceiling – with things other people had tossed out. When the Collyer brothers passed away, it took police hours to find Homer’s body. Langley was discovered weeks later, as the 120 tons of refuse (more than the weight of a blue whale) were removed from their house. Their home was razed to build a public park.

Indian Star

 

In 1862, German Methodist Reverend Emil Baur bought 740 acres on Wild Fowl Bay, Michigan for an experiment in communal living. He called his venture “The Christian German Agricultural and Benevolent Society Ora et Labora,” (meaning “pray and work.”) Members could join for $25 ($906 in today’s money). Ora Labora started with 140 members, but the colony quickly doubled in size. Most members were immigrants from European cities. They were willing to work, but had little experience with farming. They bought cows, then lost them because they didn’t think to build fences. When the Civil War started, several members enlisted. Most didn’t return after the war. By 1867, the colony dwindled to a dozen members, and was deep in debt. Ora Labora disbanded, and in 1871 a fire erased what was left of the buildings. USPS relocated their post office to nearby Bay Port. Today, all that remains of Ora Labora is the stone markers in the cemetery. 

Pop Star

 

As a preschooler, I owned a vinyl record of the song “Big Rock Candy Mountain.” It was a kid-friendly version, without whiskey lakes and cigarette trees. It sounded like a wonderful place, but when I finally saw the actual mountain, I was deeply disappointed. I wasn’t much older when Peter, Paul and Mary’s “Puff the Magic Dragon” was released, but somehow, I knew Honalee wasn’t real. Then the Monkees appeared on the scene, and all my friends were smitten. We loved “Last Train to Clarksville,” and fantasized about going there someday. We never did and never will. There’s a Clarksville in Tennessee, but the lyricist claimed it had no connection with the song. There is a place called Kokomo in Hawaii, but it’s not “off the Florida keys, where the Beach Boys said we could find it. And when Jimmy Buffet sings about “Margaritaville,” it really doesn’t sound like he’s describing a restaurant.

Splice

 

“We find many scriptural stories of great and noble leaders, such as Jeremiah, Job, Joseph Smith, and Nephi, who were not spared from the struggles and challenges of mortality. Reflecting on my own experiences, I realize I have learned some of my best lessons during the hardest times in my life, times that took me out of my comfort zone. Difficulties I encountered as a youth, as a recent convert, and as a full-time missionary, and in raising a family have prepared me for the future. The more I cheerfully respond to difficult circumstances with faith in the Lord, the more I grow in my discipleship. The hard things in our lives should come as no surprise once we have entered the straight and narrow path. Jesus Christ learned obedience by the things which he suffered. As we follow Him, especially in our difficult times, we can grow to become more like Him.” – Elder Isaac K. Morrison

Another Blossom

 

Kelly the dolphin was captured in 1978, off the coast of Florida. Kelly lived and performed at Marine Life Oceanarium in Gulfport, Mississippi, more than twenty years. Dolphins at Marine Life – as in many other similar places – are trained to retrieve stray objects or dead birds that fall into their tanks in exchange for fish. “People are careless, they drop everything in the pool,” said one of the trainers. “Batteries, cameras, pacifiers. These guys were really good. They’d find anything.” It didn’t take Kelly long to see she got the same amount of fish regardless of the size of the trash. So, she stashed her rubbish, giving it up bit by bit to maximize her payload. Then Kelly cooked up an even better scheme. She’d use her fish to lure seagulls into her pool, where she’d kill them and exchange them for more fish. She taught her own calf this strategy, who passed the trick on to other calves.

Dizzy Geese

 

António de Oliveira Salazar served as prime minister of Portugal from 1932 to 1968; a de facto dictator. On the third of August 1968, 79-year-old Salazar suffered a cerebral hemorrhage. At first, it was reported he’d fallen from a chair, but decades later anonymous witnesses admitted he’d fallen in the bath. For the next few weeks, he seemed to have recovered. Then Salazar claimed he felt ill and was admitted to Hospital de São José in Lisbon. Two days later, he fell into a coma. No one expected him to survive, so President Américo Tomás had him removed from office and replaced by Marcelo José das Neves Alves Caetano. A month later, Salazar surprised everyone by waking from his coma. No one had the nerve to tell him he was no longer prime minister. Salazar continued to “rule” the country from the comfort of his own home until his death, nearly two years later. 

Rolling Stone

 

Les Paul (born Lester William Polsfuss in 1915) was a jazz, country, and blues guitarist. He was also a luthier, song-writer and inventor. If you’ve never heard his music, I’d recommend listening to the 1945 recording of “It’s Been a Long, Long Time” with Bing Crosby, Les Paul and his trio. The Harry James/Kitty Kallen version of this song (which debuted the very same week) is the one you’ll hear in Captain America: the Winter Soldier, but the Crosby/Paul version is better. It’s actually a vocal/guitar duet, with Les more than holding his own against Bing’s unique scatting. In 1948, Les was in a horrible car accident on Route 66 near Davenport, Oklahoma which nearly ended his life. Doctors told him his right arm may have to be amputated. In the end, a specialist managed to fuse his arm at a right angle, which probably made getting dressed very difficult, but allowed him to continue playing guitar another sixty-one years. 

King's Crown

 

Most cats are pretty picky eaters. Mine whines at me when it’s her dinnertime, but when I fill her bowl, she gives me this LOOK that says, “What’s this rubbish?” That said, it isn’t unheard of for a cat to eat one of the things it really shouldn’t. At the top of this list are several houseplants. If you own a cat (it probably actually owns you), you should avoid chrysanthemums, pothos, English ivy, dieffenbachia, sago palm, amaryllis, and most lilies. Lots of flowering bulbs are toxic to cats, including hyacinth, crocus, daffodil, and tulip. But there are also several houseplants that are completely safe for cats. Some of my favorites are spider plant, bamboo palm, Boston fern, African violet, money tree, Christmas cactus, and peperomia. And if you actually WANT your kitty to munch on the greenery, plant catnip, valerian, cat grass, licorice root, lemon root, mint and cat thyme.

Honey Blossom

 Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheese Soup

 

2 cups uncooked egg noodles

10 ounces chopped broccoli (fresh or frozen)

2 tablespoons onion, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon flour

2 cups shredded cheddar (not aged or sharp)

5 1/2 cups milk

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Dump all ingredients in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 3 to 4 hours. Run an immersion blender through soup until it reaches the desired consistency. Serve in scooped-out bread bowls, with extra cheddar and sliced green onions.

Hello Springtime

 

“In the middle of what must have been a serious teaching moment, Jesus hears a scratching noise, looks up, and sees a growing hole in the ceiling as dust and thatch fall into the room. A paralyzed man on a bed is then lowered to the floor. Remarkably, Jesus discerns this is not an interruption but rather something that matters. He looks at the man on the bed, publicly forgives his sins, and physically heals him. When we make effort like the four to bring others to Christ, we can do so with certainty that He sees our true intentions and will appropriately honor them. Remember, Jesus’s teaching was disrupted by the appearance of a hole in the roof. Rather than chastise or dismiss the four who made the hole for interrupting, the scripture tells us that Jesus saw their faith. Those who witnessed the miracle then marveled, and glorified God.” – Elder James W. McConkie III

Another Jack in the Box

 

In 1699 Lady Winnifred Herbert married William Maxwell, the fifth Earl of Nithsdale. Sixteen years later, William joined the Jacobite rebellion and was captured at the battle of Preston. He was sent to the Tower of London, tried for treason, and sentenced to death. Winnifred and her maid rode unescorted to London to plead for William’s release. King George refused to hear or read her petition. When Winnifred, kneeling at his feet, grasped the hem of his cloak, the king dragged her halfway across the room. The night before William was to be executed, Winnifred and her maid – wearing extra clothing – visited him in the tower. They dressed him as a lady’s maid and had him hold a handkerchief to his face as if he was crying. The guards, who apparently didn’t bother with how many maids the countess had in tow, let William pass in plain sight. William escaped to France, where Winnifred eventually joined him. 

Sixteen Log Cabins

 

Most of you are probably already aware that March 17 is Saint Patrick’s Day, even if you’re not really sure who Saint Patrick was, or why nearly everyone is wearing green. (That last bit still confuses me. Saint Patrick’s color was sky blue.) You might even know March 17 is also Corned Beef and Cabbage Day. But I’ll bet you didn’t know today is Submarine Day. How does one celebrate Submarine Day? We’re having corned beef, cabbage, potatoes and carrots for dinner tonight, but we could always hit the nearest Subway for lunch and order a toasted steak and cheese. Or we could walk to Pirate O’s for a meatball sub. If we lived nearer either coast, we could visit a maritime museum. We could watch The Hunt for Red October, Operation Petticoat, or Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. You don’t remember a submarine in Raiders? It’s clearly time to watch that movie again.

Churn Dash

 

Some people love cilantro. Others complain it makes everything it touches taste like soap. I usually avoid it, because I have a mild (so far) allergic reaction whenever I try it. I often have a similar problem with its close relatives: carrots, fennel, parsley, celery, anise, and cumin.

 

Slow Cooker Lime Cilantro Chicken

 

16 ounces of your favorite salsa (We love mango salsa)

1 packet taco seasoning mix

Juice from 1 large or 2 medium limes

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (You can skip this, but you’d have to change the name)

3 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts

 

Stir together first 4 ingredients in slow cooker. Place chicken on top; spoon mixture over chicken. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours. Shred chicken and stir back into sauce. Serve as tacos, taco salad, burritos or burrito bowls. 

One Dozen Log Cabins

 

If you’ve ever seen the 1959-1973 television series “Bonanza,” you’re sure to remember the (almost) two-story log cabin home that was the jewel of the Cartwright’s sprawling ranch, the Ponderosa. When Lorne Greene, who played the patriarch of the Cartwright family, walked onto the set for the first day of filming, he fell in love. “I swore to myself someday I’d have a house like that,” he said. It took him four years, but he made good on his promise. In March of 1963, Lorne and his wife Nancy welcomed their closest friends to a housewarming party at their new home between Mesa and Apache Junction, “The Ponderosa II.” Their guests admired the massive log house with its enormous stone fireplace, wrought-iron doors, and period furniture that Nancy painstakingly stalked and purchased. There’s even a rustic grand staircase that leads to a non-existent second floor, exactly like the original set.

Vintage Tulip

 

Marie Kondo has suggested keeping no more than thirty books in your home at any time. That may seem a bit severe, but she has a point. Hoarding books can lead to all kinds of nasty problems, including irreparable damage to the very things you treasure. It’s important to periodically go through your shelves and weed out the books that don’t belong there. Are some already torn, dogeared or moldy? They can go to the landfill. The ones you’ve read but didn’t absolutely love can go to goodwill. The books you adored can go to a friend. Sharing a beloved book is MUCH more rewarding than keeping it to yourself. If you must have hundreds of books about you, the digital kind take up zero space, don't harbor insects, and don’t need to be dusted. When you’re done decluttering, you should be left with a manageable collection of books you’re about to read or reread, plus a handful of books you don’t want to be without. 

Nine Log Cabins

 “The author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry recounted the following: One day, while traveling on a train, he found himself sitting amidst a group of refugees. Deeply moved by the hopelessness he saw in the face of a young child, he exclaimed: ‘When by mutation a new rose is born in a garden, all the gardeners rejoice. They isolate the rose, tend it, foster it. But there is no gardener for men.’ My brothers and sisters, should we not be the gardeners for our fellow men and women? As disciples of Christ, we have a solemn duty to work tirelessly for peace and harmony among all nations of the earth. We must do our very best to protect and bring solace and relief to the weak, the needy, and all those who suffer or who are oppressed. Above all, the greatest gift of love we can offer our fellow men is to share with them the joy of the gospel.” – Bishop Gérald Caussé

Re-Threaded

 

On Saturday, the sixth of May, Charles III will be crowned King of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms. The event will take place in front of the high altar at Westminster Abbey, and Charles will be seated on the same coronation chair his mother used when she became queen in 1953. One of the most famous pieces of furniture in the world, the coronation chair was commissioned by King Edward I in 1296. It was designed to enclose the Stone of Scone (Scots pronounce it “scoon,” so the two words don’t rhyme). The stone is a 340-pound oblong block of red sandstone, with an inscription of a cross, and two iron rings serving as handles. It’s also called the Stone of Destiny or Jacob’s Pillow Stone. According to at least one legend, this is the stone the Prophet Jacob used as a pillow on his journey to Haran, when he dreamed of a heavenly ladder. 

Four Log Cabins

 

I used to make calls on a rotary phone that was attached to the wall. (I know why we say we’re “hanging up” when a call is over.) I can remember what party lines and pay phones were like. I’ve listened to music on MP3 players, compact discs, 8-tracks and cassettes, and vinyl: 78, 45 and 33 1/3 RPM. I watched black and white TV on a set with a 19” screen and foil hanging from the rabbit ears so we could receive ABC, NBC, and CBS. I cut grass with a roller (push) mower, and I drank water from the garden hose. I used to walk alone a mile and a half to school every morning, and another mile and a half back home, every afternoon. I can remember when astronauts rode on space shuttles, and when men walked on the moon. And as of today, I’m married to a retired person. Gee, I’m old.

Another Fanfare

 

This recipe is a big hit at our house. It lets you add the toppings you like and skip the ones you don’t. It’s a bit lower in carbs than traditional burritos (because the big flour tortilla is missing) and it’s a whole lot less messy.

 

Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowls

 

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 packet taco seasoning

1 1/2 cups whole kernel corn (1 can, 1 bag frozen, or two cobs)

15 ounces black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup chopped onions

16 ounces salsa

10 ounces diced tomatoes and green chilies with juice (We used Ro-Tel)

Cooked rice (We used brown rice and quinoa)

Toppings – shredded cabbage or lettuce, cheese, avocados, tomatoes, green onions or sour cream

 

Place chicken in slow cooker. Top with seasoning, corn, beans, onions, salsa and tomatoes. Cover and cook 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low. Serve in deep bowls with toppings, over rice. Makes enough for 6 to 8 people.

Log Cabin

 

Vernon, Florida used to be fairly prosperous, when gopher tortoise shells were in demand, and steamships traveled up and down nearby Holmes Creek. Eventually, laws were made protecting the gopher tortoise. Steamships disappeared, replaced by trucks and trains that came nowhere near Vernon. Sometime in the 1950’s, someone in town accidentally lost a limb and received a hefty insurance payout. A lot of his neighbors took notice. For the next decade or so, Vernon became insurance scam central. Some used axes or saws to maim themselves for money, but most resorted to firearms. One claimed he’d shot his hand while aiming at a hawk. Another said he’d shot his foot, which he’d mistaken for a squirrel. In the 50’s and 60’s, Vernon's 500 residents accounted for two thirds of the country’s dismemberment claims. Their scams worked for two reasons: the limbs in question WERE missing, and juries couldn’t believe people would deliberately hurt themselves for cash.

Rambling Rose Garden

 

Lindsey Sanders and her husband hadn’t been at Las Vegas’ Excalibur Hotel and Casino long when they started noticing something odd about their room. They’d return to find personal items knocked off the bathroom counter. There was a puddle of what looked like urine on the shower floor. Late at night, there were odd noises. The third night, Lindsey’s husband walked into the bathroom and flipped on the light. “There’s a cat in here,” he said. The couple called the front lobby, and security was dispatched to their room, armed with a dog leash. The men tried to tackle the grey tabby, who disappeared into a 3” gap under the sink. They had to dismantle the sink to pull it out. The kitty was eventually reunited with its owner, who’d stayed in that very room six days earlier. The most interesting part of the story? The Excalibur charges a $50 fee to guests with dogs. But cats are not allowed.

Amish Star

 

“On the path of forgiveness and healing lies a choice to not perpetuate unhealthy patterns or relationships. To all within our influence, we can offer kindness for cruelty, love for hate, gentleness for abrasiveness, safety for distress, and peace for contention. To give what you’ve been denied is a powerful part of divine healing possible through faith in Jesus Christ. To live in such a way that you give, as Isaiah said, beauty for the ashes of your life is an act of faith following the supreme example of a Savior who suffered all that He might succor all. Joseph of Egypt lived a life with ashes. He was hated by his brethren, betrayed, sold into slavery, wrongly imprisoned, and forgotten by someone who’d promised to help. Yet he trusted in the Lord. The Lord was with Joseph and consecrated his trials to his own blessing and growth—and to the saving of his family and all Egypt.” – Kristin M. Yee

Jack in the Box

 

In many cultures, it’s frowned upon (sometimes even illegal) to marry a close cousin. But this doesn’t mean it never happens. J.S. Bach’s first marriage to his second cousin was arranged by their family. Edgar Allen Poe married his first cousin when he was twenty-seven and she was thirteen. H.G. Wells’ marriage to his first cousin lasted only three years. Charles Darwin studied the effects of inbreeding, but it didn’t stop him and his first cousin from marrying and having ten children together. Albert Einstein’s wife Elsa was his first cousin on his mother’s side, and his second cousin on his father’s side. Jerry Lee Lewis was twenty-two when he married his thirteen-year-old first cousin; a move that damaged his career. On the other hand, marrying a distant cousin carries no stigma at all. Kevin Bacon and his wife, Kyra Sedgwick, discovered they were ninth cousins once removed on the PBS series, “Finding Your Roots.” 

Windmills

 

Every Friday, Heather and I go to the hospital in Murray. I play the piano in the lobby, while Heather greets everyone who passes by. Then we hit the cafeteria before heading home. There are dozens of eateries within walking distance, and dozens more on the way home. We almost always choose lunch at the cafeteria. It’s THAT good. Last week, we had barbecue brisket sandwiches, with pickled red onion piled on top – a delightful pop of color and flavor.

 

Pickled Red Onion

 

2 small red onions

3 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon peppercorns

2 cups white vinegar

2 cups water

1/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons salt

 

Thinly slice onions and place into 3 10-ounce Mason jars. Add garlic and peppercorns to each jar. Heat remaining ingredients in saucepan, stirring, until salt and sugar dissolve. Pour over onions in jars; cool. Place lids on jars and refrigerate overnight. Will keep in fridge up to 2 weeks. 

Cheerful Churn Dash

 

Karl Paulnack, currently the Dean of the Ithaca College School of Music, was previously the Director of the Music Division at Boston Conservatory.  In a welcome address he gave to the parents of an incoming Freshman class at BC (and in an address to the students as well) he said: “If we were a medical school, and you were here as med students practicing appendectomies, you’d take your work very seriously because you would imagine that some night at 2:00 a.m. someone is going to waltz into your emergency room and you’re going to have to save their life. Well, my friends, someday at 8:00 p.m. someone is going to walk into your concert hall and bring you a mind that is confused, a heart that is overwhelmed, a soul that is weary. Whether they go out whole again will depend partly on how well you do your craft.”

Card Trick

 

Last week, my mother and I discovered an avid quilter at the furniture store. (Somehow, we quilters just seem to gravitate to each other.) We shared quilt photos on our phones, and she asked if I had tricks for getting seams to come out right. I have dozens. Here are a few:

Aim for accuracy in cutting; use good rulers and templates.

Perfect a scant 1/4" seam. I use a quilter’s pressing foot with a guide.

Finger-press first, then use a DRY iron. Steam will always skew your project.

Wear good reading glasses, even if you don’t need them for anything else.

Have plenty of clear, bright light in your work space.

Plan the direction your seams will be pressed, so they’ll “nest” together like puzzle pieces.

If at all possible, swirl press wherever four corners meet.

Pin, pin, pin. When in doubt, pin more.

When you’ve pressed a finished block and it’s perfect, cool it under a weighted ruler.