Sixteen Where To Blocks

 

Macaroni Salad

 

1 cup elbow macaroni, uncooked

2 large boiled eggs, chopped

1/2 small onion, chopped

1 rib of celery, chopped

1/2 bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 medium carrot, shredded

1 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon sweet relish

3 tablespoons yellow mustard

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

 

Cook pasta to al dente; drain and rinse. Combine chopped eggs and vegetables in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients. Add to macaroni, eggs and vegetables and gently stir until combined. Cover and chill completely. Makes 4 to 6 servings as a side dish.

Sugar Candy

 

The other day I read Gal Gadot – the actress famous for portraying Wonder Woman – had recently lost the tip of her finger. "You know in the early days of pandemic when you start drinking mimosa or sangria or whatever at 11 a.m.?” she said. “I did that, and then decided I'm going to make a cabbage salad because that's what one wants to do.” She still has no feeling in that fingertip. I can definitely relate. I hadn’t been drinking when it happened to me, but my knife wasn’t very sharp. (Dull knives are even more dangerous than sharp ones.) It slipped on a crusty baguette and sliced my index fingertip instead. The E.R. stopped the bleeding, bandaged me up and sent me home. For a while I played the organ without my left hand. Fast forward a decade or two. My fingerprint is a little odd, but the finger is functional. I suspect Wonder Woman will be just fine, too.

Twelve Snowball Flowers

 

The International Space Station is as big on the inside as a five-bedroom house. It has two bathrooms, a gym, and a picture window with a stunning view. It’s big enough on the outside to cover a football field, end zones included. It was built in space, bit by bit, beginning in 1998. There have been astronauts living and working there for nearly 21 years now. It typically carries a crew of six, but for the past few days there have been eleven people on board. As you might expect, this has meant they’ve had to get creative with sleeping arrangements and bathroom privileges. It’s probably been a bit uncomfortable, but sometime today, four of those astronauts will head home. I might catch a glimpse of the station one of these mornings, if not for the cloud cover. But I’m not complaining. I'm grateful for the rain. I'm especially glad I don’t have to share two toilets with ten other people.

Heartstrings

 

I’ve made several New York-style cheesecakes over the years. Their taste and texture are amazing, but they’re a lot of work. They require a spring-form pan, not to mention lots of cream cheese, sour cream and heavy cream. Last week I wanted to make a couple of cheesecakes, but I didn’t want a lot of fuss and bother (plus, I only own one springform pan) so this recipe came in handy:

 

Easy Cheesecake

 

16 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

Store-bought graham cracker crust

 

Heat oven to 325F. Beat together cream cheese, sugar and vanilla (stop periodically and scrape sides). Beat in eggs until just combined. Pour into crust. Bake 40 minutes, until ALMOST set. Cool completely, then refrigerate 3 hours. Makes 6 generous servings.

 

Heather says this isn’t cheesecake; it’s cheese pie. I guess she has a point. But she did have a slice, and she didn’t leave a single crumb.

Counterpane

 

“We cannot wait for conversion to simply happen to our children. Accidental conversion is not a principle of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Becoming like our Savior will not happen randomly. Being intentional in loving, teaching, and testifying can help children begin at a young age to feel the influence of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is essential to our children’s testimony of and conversion to Jesus Christ; we desire them to always remember him, that they may have his Spirit to be with them. Consider the value of family conversations about the gospel of Jesus Christ, essential conversations, that can invite the Spirit. When we have such conversations with our children, we help them create a foundation, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if they build, they cannot fall. When we strengthen a child, we strengthen the family.” – Joy D. Jones

Twelve Diamond Stars

 

April 16 was Eggs Benedict Day, which I celebrated by learning to make hollandaise. The recipe calls for 3 yolks, a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice, and half a cup of butter, chopped into at least 8 pieces. You whisk together the yolks and juice in a small saucepan over very low heat, then gradually whisk in the butter pieces. You can add a pinch of salt or cayenne at this point, but they’re not necessary. You’ll end up with about 3/4 cup sauce, which is much more than we needed. So, I cut it down to a third that size. If I hadn’t, I might have stored the covered leftover sauce in the fridge, and then rewarmed it by whisking in a tablespoon or so of boiling water over very low heat. It was lovely with poached eggs, Canadian bacon and toasted English muffins. But I understand hollandaise is also excellent over steamed fish or vegetables.

Nine Where To Blocks

 

Here’s another Titanic survivor: Richard Norris Williams III was born in 1891 in Switzerland to well-to-do Philadelphian parents. He received a private education at a Swiss boarding school and was fluent in English, French and German. Dick won the Swiss tennis championship in 1911. The following spring, he and his father booked first class passage on the Titanic. Shortly after the collision, Dick freed a trapped passenger by breaking down a cabin door. He was scolded by a steward who threatened to charge him for the damage. His father was killed by a falling funnel, but Dick was able to swim to a partially submerged lifeboat. He spent several hours knee-deep in freezing water before being picked up by the Carpathia. Surgeons wanted to amputate his frostbitten legs, but he refused. Instead, he orchestrated his own recovery by getting up and walking every two hours around the clock. Later that same year, he won the U.S. tennis championship.