Mashed Potato Casserole

Here's another favorite - definitely not low calorie.

Mashed Potato Casserole

12 potatoes (mashed), 8oz cream cheese, 1 pint sour cream, 1 sauteed chopped onion, 1 small jar pimento, chopped parsley, chives or green onion for color, 2 t. salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and put in casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes.

Simply,
Mary

Homemade Chili

Nothing warms your tummy on a Fall evening better than a hot bowl of chili. Here is an easy recipe that everyone seems to love.

Chili

2 T. oil
1 lb. ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
4 pieces celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 -16oz. cans chili beans
2 C. water
2 t. salt
½ t. pepper
½ t. sugar
½ C. ketchup
1 t. chili powder
½ t. cayenne red pepper or hot pepper sauce

Heat oil in skillet. Lightly brown the meat, push to side of pan. Add onion, garlic, and celery. Cook until soft. Drain excess fat. Mix in remaining ingredients. Simmer 30 - 45 minutes.

Note: I usually add only half the chili powder and none of the red pepper so that it is mild. I serve these condiments on the side for those who want it hotter.

Enjoy,
Simply,
Mary

Swedish Apple Cake

Here is a recipe from my paternal Grandma Anne and my Mom made it all the time.
It has a press in crust so it is great if you just haven't had luck with a roll out crust or if you don't have a rolling pin or pastry cloth. You can fill it with any ingredients that you would put in a pie. It also works if you use my gluten free rice flour mix instead of the flour so you can make a gluten free pie. Remember, in my recipes, I use C. for cup, T. for tablespoon and t. for teaspoon.

Swedish Apple Cake

Crust:
1 ½ C. flour
½ C. butter
1 egg
2 T. Milk
1 t. Baking powder
½ t. salt
2 T. sugar

Mix dry ingredients, work in butter with fingertips or pastry cutter. Beat egg and milk together and add to mix. Stir till dough forms and press into bottom and sides of a 9 X 13” pan. To make a Gluten Free crust substitute rice flour mix (below) for the flour and add 1 t. xanthan gum.

Filling:
Sliced and peeled apples - enough to evenly fill the pan about an inch deep.
Mix together:
½ - ¾ C. sugar, depending on sweetness of apples
1 t. cinnamon
1 T. cornstarch
Sprinkle over apples and drizzle 2 T. lemon juice over the top

Streusel:
Mix together:
½ C. flour
¼ C. sugar
Work in 6 T. butter with your fingers and crumble over the top of the apples.
Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes.

Gluten Free Rice Flour Mix (may be used instead of flour)
Mix together:
3 C. brown rice flour
1 ¼ C. potato starch or cornstarch
¾ C. tapioca flour


I have usually used glass pans for this so you will just have to experiment to see what works best for you. Try it will all kinds of pie fillings and enjoy!

Simply,
Mary

Homemade Lemonade or Limeade

I received this recipe along with a beautiful Danish stainless bowl for a wedding gift 38 years ago. It was one of my cousin Rollie's favorites. I always thought that was a neat thing to do for newlyweds - give a couple of your favorite (tested and approved) recipes along with a kitchen gift. Everyone always loves this one and I make it with limes as well as lemons for a refreshing new taste.

Lemonade or Limeade

Heat 1 C. water and 1 C. sugar until dissolved - I do this in a 4 C. glass measuring cup in the microwave.

Add 1 C freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice

Pour mixture into 4 cups of ice water.

Put your feet up and enjoy this easy homemade recipe!

Simply,
Mary

Double Fudge Brownies

Here's a simple brownie recipe for every chocoholic out there! Just keep a supply of chocolate chips on hand and you are all set.

Double Fudge Brownies

1/2 C sugar, 2 T. butter, 2 T. water, 2 C. chocolate chips - separated (I use Ghirardelli Bittersweet chips), 2 eggs slightly beaten, 1 t. vanilla, 2/3 C. flour, 1/4 t. baking soda, 1/4 t. salt,
1/2 C. chopped nuts (optional)

Combine sugar, butter and water in a microwave safe mixing bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes on high or until melted. Add 1 C. of the chocolate chips. Stir until melted. Add eggs and vanilla; stir until blended. Combine flour, baking soda and salt; add to chocolate mixture. Stir in remaining 1 C. chocolate chips and nuts if desired. Pour into a greased 9 inch square pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely and cut with a plastic knife.

Simply,
Mary

Cream Cheese Dip

Here's an easy dip that all ages seem to love. It is good with pretzels or chips.

Cream Cheese Dip

1 8oz. package cream cheese
1/4 C. water
1 t. beef bouillon granules (you could use a bouillon cube, but they take a little longer to dissolve)

Measure the water in a glass measuring cup and microwave until boiling. Dissolve the bouillon in the water. Put the cream cheese in a mixing bowl and beat with electric mixer until soft. Add the bouillon mixture and beat until creamy. Scoop into a bowl and commence dipping.

Simply,
Mary

Simple Lessons

I have learned many lessons in my life.........some easily, some the hard way, but none as wisely conveyed as those from the seniors that have blessed my journey. My Mom and Dad of course were my first authority figures, but there have been others along the way who hold a special place in teaching me how to follow the path laid out before me.

The most lasting lessons for me have been those that have just seeped into my personality like a gentle breeze or soothing wave lapping over the sand, churning it and rearranging it, but leaving it smooth and in order. In the end, the lessons have left me a civil person, wanting and helping to create peace and joy, even in the midst of chaos. It becomes a way of life, like a diet that only works if you can stick with it long term.

Civility is what makes the most sense to me and my parents and extended family unknowingly made sure that I grew up with that. We were required to be nice to each other. Love abounded and old fashioned politeness was how things were. You didn't want to hurt each others feelings and it didn't sound right to shout at anyone - even the dog. My parents and Mom's two elder sisters (who were like grandmas to me) raised me and their kindness and care helped make me who I am.

Most recently though, I have been mentored by an amazing couple in their late 80's - dear Mary and Jack. Their lessons have really helped prepare me for the next stage of my life. Their unconditional love for and genuine interest in every individual they meet is truly life changing. Just to have someone's encouragement and confidence can make you feel strong and ready to face whatever is happening. Even since Mary has now passed away, I feel her presence strongly, telling me, "You can DO it!" With the right attitude, you can accomplish much and journey with anything. I like the thought of "journeying with" conditions rather than "fighting with". If I get a serious illness, I'd sure hate to "battle" with it. I'd rather journey with it, hoping that our paths might split down the road. It is the civil, peaceful way that leaves you better in the end.

Sooo, remember to look for the lessons of the elders in your life. They may look like they don't have much to offer, but they are a treasure trove of knowledge. Listen to them and communicate whenever you can. Oh, and if they are hard of hearing, here's something I just learned from the nurses who are taking care of Jack (he was in a car accident and is in rehab)... - just make eye contact with them and talk slower. The nurses don't raise their voices as much as they just slow down and articulate the words, allowing the person to read their lips and understand what they are saying.

I still have much to learn, but as I let these simple lessons seep in, they are already being affirmed. My five children are becoming civil adults and they bring a smile to my face and a profound sense of joy to my heart every time I see them doing their nurturing, whether it is an animal, plant, child, peer or old person, those ripples go out to create a moment of heaven for something or someone. And as Jack would say, "Does it get any better than that?"

Simply,
Mary

Dill Dip

Here's a simple dip to serve for dipping those raw veggies on your summer cookouts and picnics:

Dill Dip

1 C. sour cream, 1 C. mayonnaise (remember my May 10 entry?),
2 t. Lawrey's Seasoned Salt, 2 t. dried onion,
2 T. dill weed, 2T. parsley flakes

Mix all 6 ingredients together and refrigerate. It's good if it can sit for at least a short while to let the dried onion soften. It's wonderful right away though.

Note: in my recipes, C= cup, T = tablespoon and t = teaspoon

Happy dipping,
Simply,
Mary

Eggless Spice Cake

Here's Aunt Lyn's recipe if your milk has gone sour. You could put a tablespoon of vinegar in the bottom of a measuring cup and fill it to one cup with fresh milk if you don't have sour.

Eggless Spice Cake

½ C. shortening (I use butter), pinch of salt
1 C. sugar, 1t. Baking soda
1 ½ C. flour, 1 C. sour milk
1 t. cinnamon, ½ C. raisins
½ t. nutmeg, ½ C. nuts (optional)
¼ t. cloves, Add 2 T. cocoa if desired

Aunt Lyn said to add a little more flour for cupcakes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients and pour into a greased (remember to use the butter wrapper) 9 inch square pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes.

When cool, you can frost with cream cheese frosting, or keep it simple and just dust with powdered sugar. Enjoy!

Simply,
Mary

Lazy Daisy Cake

Last week I found a gallon of whole milk in the garage frig that had already expired and I had forgotten I had it. It was organic milk and for some reason that seems to keep from going sour longer than non organic. If you know why this is, drop me a line. Since I don't waste anything, I headed to my recipe box along with encouraging everyone to drink this precious milk before it spoiled. I was planning on making my Aunt Lyn's Eggless Spice Cake which calls for 1 cup of sour milk, but since the milk wasn't sour and I had plenty of eggs I went with another all time favorite cake. This recipe from my mother-in-law calls for 4 eggs and 1 cup of non-sour milk. If you like coconut and want an easy summer cake with frosting broiled right on - this one is for you.

Lazy Daisy Cake (sometimes called Hot Milk Cake)

4 eggs, ½ t. salt
2 C. sugar, 1 C. hot milk
2C. flour, 2 t. butter
2 t. baking powder, 1 t. vanilla

Frosting – below (to be made while cake is baking)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat eggs until thick and lemon colored (5 min.). Add sugar gradually, beating constantly. Sift together flour, baking powder, & salt. Add to egg mix. Heat milk and butter to boiling point (I do this in a glass measuring cup in the microwave). Add all at once to flour & egg, beat well (batter is thin). Pour into greased 9 X 13 pan. Bake 35 min..

Frosting

1 stick butter, 1C. brown sugar
1/3 C. cream or milk, 1 ¼ C. coconut

Combine all ingredients. Put frosting on baked cake as soon as it is taken out of the oven and broil cake for 3-5 min, until golden brown.

This cake seems to get better and better as the days go by like carrot cake does. Tomorrow I've got to get busy and bake Aunt Lyn's cake as I am almost out of eggs and yes, the milk is definitely sour now!

Simply,
Mary

Simply Snappy Treats

I have run out of dog treats today so it's time to fire up the mixer! Here is a canine culinary delight that makes use of all the scraps of your chicken and beef (except the bones). I guess if you have been reading my blog, you have noticed by now that I don't like to waste anything! Remember to use those butter wrappers to grease your pans whenever you can. Sorry, just had to throw that in - there will be no butter wrappers in this recipe. Here's my old dog bone recipe and I will add some changes to make it quicker and easier.

For the 6 T. of drippings, I grind the gibblets or meat scraps and mix them with the chicken fat or meat drippings. Then, to make snappy treats instead of dog bones, when I form the dough, I just take portions of it and roll it into a long rope. I put it on a cookie sheet and score it with a knife so it will be easy to break into whatever size treat you want. So there you have it and now your dogs will even think you are the best cook on the block!

Simply,
Mary

"Ugly" Fire Starters

Here's a simple recycling project that uses things you would normally throw away to make something very useful. We love to camp and have campfires and I learned how to make these years ago on the Phil Donahue Show.

The supplies are: cardboard egg cartons, dryer lint, and old candle stubs (birthday candles, taper candles or that last inch of a pillar candle that you can't light anymore). All you do is stuff the lint into the bottom of the cartons, melt the wax in an old can or pot set in another pan of water (sort of a double boiler) and pour the wax over the lint, wicks and all. Work over newspaper and if you spill a little wax or it seeps through a bit, crumple that paper and use it as a fire starter too. Let the cartons cool and close them up. You can tear them apart, top and all, and they will burn for quite a while giving your campfire a good start. Even though they are ugly, they smell a lot better than lighter fluid and work better too.

Hint: If you have a used up votive candle and the wax is stuck in the glass container, just set it in the freezer for a while and it will come right out.

Simply,
Mary

Hummingbird "Juice"

Have you ever taken a good look of one of these tiny little creatures? It was so amazing for me to get an up-close look at them 25 years ago in Asheville when we hung our first hummingbird feeder. Since then it has been a yearly tradition to hang one or more of them. You can put them right up close to a window and the birds will feed inches away from you. Once I even hung one inside an open window and the birds came right in the house to eat. I quickly moved the feeder back outside as I was afraid the little thing would take a wrong turn and get lost in the house. It did prove that they are not shy about getting to a feeder!

I have heard two schools of thought on when to hang the feeders. One is to hang them from April 1st to August 1st. The end date is to encourage the birds to fly South before cold weather. I always hated taking the feeders down while thirsty little birds were still coming. Then I heard that you should keep them up until you no longer see the birds because they know when to leave all on their own and you don't want them to loose their food source until they are ready to go. Of course I now subscribe to the second method as I am a true believer that Mother Nature knows a lot better than me and these little birds know exactly what they are doing. Bird brains or not, who knows more about hummingbird behavior than a hummingbird!

I know in Asheville they always began coming in mid April, but it seems they arrive in Raleigh a little later than that. So get your feeders up and these little ruby throated gems will come year after year, remembering where they are located. Let me know when you have your first sighting.

As for the Hummingbird "Juice", the powdered stuff you can buy that makes a red liquid is not necessary and the red dye can even be harmful to the birds. If the feeder has a red plastic base that may be good because they are attracted to the color like a bright flower, but they will come without it. Here's a simple recipe:

Hummingbird Juice

In a glass measuring cup, put 1 or 2 cups of water (depending on how much water your feeder holds). Then add 1/4 cup of granulated white sugar for every cup of water. Heat the liquid to boiling in the microwave and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Let the juice cool and fill those feeders. It takes a little while for the birds to find them, but when they do, they won't forget. You should put fresh juice out whenever the feeder is empty or at least every 2 weeks.

Good luck and happy tiny bird watching!
Simply,
Mary

Motherly Love

On the eve of Mother's Day I am contemplating the love I have for each of my children. You know how it feels when you hear someone come home - as soon as the dogs begin to bark at the approaching car or the door latch opens and your heart takes a little jump knowing it's a loved one walking through the door. I have always felt that, each time Dave comes home from work or one of the kids enter the house. A little joyous feeling that someone special is here. It is a love that will never fade and only becomes stronger with time.

Tomorrow I'll get to see three of my five children and we will be traveling to Asheville on Wednesday to see the other two. Thanks to them I have gotten to be a mom. They light up my life and hopefully when they enter the room they can feel the light shining back to light up theirs.

I love you kids,
Simply,
Mom

Inhale!

Did you ever have a vivid flashback when you caught a whiff of something that reminded you of it? Pleasant memories or not, it's amazing how a smell can take you speeding back to a moment in time. Sometimes I can even remember what I was wearing in that moment!

Aroma therapy sure works for me and it's another simple pleasure that doesn't cost a penny! Phoebe (my dog) and I enjoyed some great smells today on our walk. The magnolia blooms are beginning to open and there are fragrant flowers and bushes everywhere. At my favorite rose display I had Phoebe sit and stay on the sidewalk so I could lean over and smell them. In most cases I think the resident would be pleased that someone is enjoying the fruits of their labor. Once a woman came out to comment that she liked seeing me do it. Just don't stomp on anything precious in the flower bed and beware of dogs protecting their property.

So today, whether it means putting on another pot of coffee (better make it decaf at this time of day), sitting in a bath with some fragrant oil, stepping outside to sniff some spring flowers, or frying an onion, I hope that you can all breathe in some of your favorite aromas.

Simply,
Mary

Salmon & Rice

I am trying to serve seafood meals 3 times a week. I confess some nights it is fish sticks and macaroni and cheese, but at least it is seafood. This was supper last night and I know I have promised the rice recipe, so here goes...

I have been making rice this way for nearly 40 years. It is the way my Mom taught me and I love it. It produces a soft rice and is great when you microwave leftovers. I have a heavy waterless stainless steel pot with a well fitting lid that I always use for my rice.

Note: When I write recipes, a C. stands for cup, T. for tablespoon and t. for teaspoon.

Rice:
In the pot, you put:
1 C. long grain white rice
2 C. water
1 t. salt
1 t. oil (I use olive oil)
1 t. lemon or lime juice. I usually buy limes - they are more acidic I think and I love the taste and color.

Bring these 5 ingredients up to a boil and reduce heat, simmering on very low for 14 minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit a few minutes until all the water is absorbed. Spoon into a serving bowl.

Now for the salmon. Wild caught salmon is supposed to be the best and I get mine at Aldi's. It is the Sea Queen brand and there are 4 individually wrapped frozen fillets in a 16 oz package. Aldi's is a fantastic grocery store with amazing fresh produce, great cereals, large eggs and all at really low prices. Their make -up is wonderful too.

While your rice is cooking, get busy with the salmon. This recipe came from a woman named Pearl in Seattle and we have used it for many years. Make sure you thaw your fillets first if you are using frozen ones. You can also broil the salmon in the oven using this sauce as I did last night. My thin fillets took 4 minutes on each side with the broiler on high.

Salmon:

1 stick butter, 2 t. dry mustard
1T. ketchup, garlic powder to taste
¼ C. soy sauce

Melt all together (I use a 1 C. measuring cup in the microwave).
Place salmon on wire rack flesh side down on charcoal fire 5 min. until flesh
is sealed. Flip from rack onto barbecue rack and
spread with sauce. Broil 10 to 15 min. longer.
Do not overcook.
Note: I usually make ½ recipe for a nice slab of salmon.

You can serve the extra sauce at the table for drizzling on the rice or salmon. Add a green vegetable and you are good to go.

I hope you enjoy this easy salmon meal.

Simply,
Mary

Things Are Looking Up

Did you ever need a break from looking at the clutter that you are planning on organizing? Sometimes it can give you a real brain cloud! The other day I came upon something that helped revive me.

I am trying to get back to aerobic exercising and doing some yoga and stretching too. I remembered how I used to like doing inverted postures, like shoulder stands and head stands. They get all the blood out of your legs and feet and really rejuvenate your brain. Try it - it really works. Well, while up in that shoulder stand, I of course was looking at the ceiling. It was so spacious and so much more uncluttered than the floor. Other than a light fixture, it was totally clear of stuff. I enjoyed the view and upon returning to upright position, was rejuvenated enough to tackle the next item on my list. So, when that brain cloud sets in, just take a minute to look up wherever you are. The sky works even better - whether it is painted with beautiful puffy clouds like today, overcast or rainy, it is a vast expanse of uncluttered space to give you some relief.

Oh, and an added tip about your list of things to do (referring back to yesterday's blog),......I find that listing them in a time-frame where you estimate how long it may take for each task, is very helpful. You will be amazed at how much longer (or shorter) it takes you to do a task than you thought - so make a note of that for next time. That will prevent you from trying to do too many tasks in one day. It's no fun to come to the end of the day having only accomplished 3 out of 20 things on your list.

So just remember to hold your head up high, keep your chin up and enjoy the view!

Simply,
Mary

The Power of the List

Did you ever think that simply writing something down could make it so much more likely to get done? I have found this to be so true for me and I am trying to be better about making notes for myself. Remember, you should never have to purchase notepads for this purpose. The mailman usually furnishes me with enough junk mail and packets of advertisements (many of them with a blank back side) so I can cut them into the perfect size for either a short note or a long grocery list. Also, save your botched computer printouts for this purpose.

You can stick a few grocery sized notes on the frig with a magnet and it will always be handy for anyone in the household to add to when they realize something is running out. Of course, I am lost if I forget to grab this list on my way out to grocery shop, only to walk aimlessly around the store knowing that when I get home I will kick myself for forgetting to buy the key ingredient I needed for supper.

We have one of those over-sized paper clips on a stand where we can leave messages for each other and we all know to look on the counter for a note when we come home or wake up and we wonder where everyone went.

My goal this summer is to do some serious organizing of my stuff to help simplify my life. So I am going to write lists of things to try to accomplish. Even the fact that I am writing this down in my blog makes me feel like it is more likely to happen. I have so many raw materials because I love to make gifts and things instead of buying them and my hobbies require fabrics and yarns. At any moment, with my stuff combined with Dave's workshop of his raw materials, we could fabricate a new part for or mend anything (even replacing piano keys or bridle straps). All our raw materials along with our camping gear makes me think we could survive for a long time here in our home, building furniture, making our clothes and cooking with home grown food. We would need to work on a better garden though - our herbs would only take us just so far!

I think I have rambled on in a few different directions, but I just wanted to get across the point that if you make a list (hopefully the night before) of what you want to accomplish in a day, then prioritize it, you will be much more likely to get it done. What you don't finish, starts the list for the next day. Just be sure to include some things on that list that use your talents, some that lift your spirits along with a few things that frighten you, but must be done.

Happy listing,
Simply,
Mary

Simply Fry an Onion

Before I begin, I must tell you that I use iron fry pans or an iron Dutch oven whenever I can. Iron is the original non-stick cookware when seasoned properly and it even puts iron into the food you are cooking. The other cookware I use often is a pressure cooker. It cuts cooking time to nothing and it leaves so many of the nutrients in the food! But that's a topic for another day.

Okay, about onions. Even thought I love to cook, there are some nights when I haven't planned a meal or I'm really not in the cooking mood. Supper time might be minutes away and soon there will be hungry folks home from their busy days. What to do?!!! Simply fry an onion! There is nothing better than the smell of an onion frying in butter when you walk in the door.

Now, slicing that onion is a trick in itself. I remember years ago, even before I was married, my husband Dave and I were visiting some friends of ours and when I volunteered to help the experienced wife with supper, she asked me to slice the onion. I had that thing slipping and sliding all over the counter! I'm not sure what my slices looked like, but I know I was embarrassed about them.

A few years later I was so happy to learn the secret from a cook on the Phil Donahue Show. If you look at the picture these directions will make sense to you. Just slice the onion in half lengthwise and see the end that looks like a little mustache? Well, leave that one on and slice a little bit off the other end so you can peel it easily. Don't ever cut the mustache off because it holds everything together and you can slice it as thin as you want into half rounds or you can put vertical cuts as thin as you want and spread it out like a fan to see it won't even fall apart then. If you now slice across these thinly cut strips, you have tiny little diced onions! Either way, you end up with that little moustache as the last thing left, having done a very good job.

Well, back to frying that onion..........I melt butter in an iron pan, but you could use oil if you want. While that is frying on low you can start some rice or pasta because you will need something to serve your fantastic stir fry dish over. I'll write about cooking rice another time. Okay, now, look in the frig and see if you have any sun dried tomatoes, green pepper or mushrooms that you can add to your onion. Put in some garlic, which you can slice almost exactly as the onion if you don't want to use a garlic press. Add whatever leftover veggies, shrimp or strips of meat you have, some pesto and a little chicken or beef broth (I use granulated bouillon and some water). You can even drizzle in some wine or cream and season as you like. I love it with shrimp, cream and creole seasoning served over fine egg noodles. Well, there you have it! Just don't tell your family that you didn't know what was for supper an hour ago!

Oh, and remember the jelly jars I mentioned yesterday. Try some Bonne Maman Preserves - I get them at Kroger. They are delicious, don't have any high fructose corn sweetener and the jar label soaks off easily. The little red and white checkered lid has a great seal so you can use it for nuts, dried fruit or even leftover fried onions! Enjoy!

Simply,
Mary

Easy Dessert

When cooking meals, I usually make a meat or fish, a vegetable, something starchy like bread, rice or potatoes AND a dessert. I know this is old fashioned, but I have always been very old fashioned. As a girl this felt a little awkward, but now that I am old enough to be a senior citizen, at least at some grocery stores, it suits me a little better. You will have to forgive me for not always being politically correct or "with it" because of this character trait.

I know desserts are not good for you, but I must confess I am addicted and I promise to count the points on my Weight Watcher Food Tracker list. Here is a great treat that I decided on for tonight - it doesn't need baking.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER BARS

1/2 C. light corn syrup, 1 t. vanilla
1/4 C. brown sugar, 3 c. rice crispies
1/8 t. salt
1 C. peanut butter, 6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips


Combine syrup, sugar and salt in large glass bowl. Bring to full boil in microwave, about 2-3 min. Remove from microwave, stir in peanut butter, vanilla, cereal and chocolate chips. Press into buttered 9 X 13” pan. Chill about 1 hour.
Cut into small bars. Yield: 1 1/2 Pounds.

I don't ever use plastic in the microwave even if it says you can. I also heard never to even store oily or greasy things in plastic because plastic will leach into the food. Use your own judgement there, but I love to store things in wide mouth glass canning jars or jelly jars. It's easy to see what's in them.

One last thing, when talking about simplicity; I have to mention that if you ever take up knitting - I suggest you learn the Continental method (it's so much easier). I will teach it to you someday complete with pictures or a video to follow. If you have learned the European method, I'm sorry I won't be able to help you with your project, but don't try to change because I think that would be very difficult (I could never switch).

Simply,
Mary

Simply Smile

I would venture to say that the one most important thing you can do for someone on a daily basis is to simply smile at them. It is a universal language, and after all, it's the merry merry month of May!

Everyone who knows me, knows that I adore babies - the littler the better. When I make eye contact with one of these little creatures, I have been known to make a fool of myself going for the big connection. When it happens, I just know it isn't faked - not by a baby, but it shines forth in a broad toothless grin that makes the whole world seem a little warmer and better! What a way to communicate with someone who doesn't speak our language yet.

Since most of us know that feeling of how it warms us when someone smiles at us, let's give that feeling away as much as we can. It doesn't cost us a thing and hey, maybe a pretend smile can change us from the outside in, so we will really feel better on the inside too and soon that smile will be genuine. Once I asked the elderly couple I know, why people always flocked around them. With all their wisdom they said, "We smile - nobody does that anymore".

So.........simply smile, in person or over the phone and who knows, maybe you'll even get better customer service!

Simply,
Mary

Nothing to it!

Can you believe it? I just caught myself looking at the font styles and thinking I might choose a different one. Oh, Mary the whole idea of this blog is to KEEP IT SIMPLE! So here it goes..............

I took care of my Mom for her last year and I often think of how we would laugh, when after some strenuous activity such as transferring her from wheelchair to car or back, she would smile and say, "Nothing to it!". Of course, it was difficult for both of us.

Sometimes things have to take a lot of effort so you bear down and tough it out, but for me, I really want to simplify and make life a little less complicated.

I have been a wife, at home mom and homemaker for the last 37 years, spending some time running my own seamstress business, doing childcare and being a caregiver for the elderly. My dear husband and I have raised five wonderful children and countless animals. I have trained one of our rescued dogs to be a therapy dog and I recently became certified as a nurse aide. My passion for dabbling in every kind of domestic thing you can think of has led me to knit, crochet, sew, mend, quilt, bake, cook, garden and do anything grandma used to do.

In doing all these things, I find myself trying to make it simpler. I re-write knitting, sewing and cooking instructions to make them more understandable and logical. How can you follow a recipe that is a whole page long?

In this blog, I will share my little shortcuts for everything from cooking to camping and realizations I have made over the years so that sometimes we all will REALLY be able to say, "Nothing to it!".