All Excellent Quotes . . .

"Say what you will about the Ten Commandments, you must always come back to the pleasant fact that there are only ten of them."
-- H. L. Mencken

"A fine quotation is a diamond on the finger of a man of wit, and a pebble in the hand of a fool."
-- Joseph Roux

"The art of medicine consists in amusing the patient while nature cures the disease."
-- Voltaire

"A compromise is the art of dividing a cake in such a way that everyone believes he has the biggest piece."
-- Ludwig Erhard

Ravioli in the making . . .

My favorite view of dinner preparations - the filling sealed in the pasta dough . . . and complete save for simmering in salted water before dinner! I've also taken the same kind of ravioli and deep fried them which the family liked but doesn't happen too much given the fat component!

Unexpectedly soggy . . .

The weatherman did say there was a chance for rain but I've learned to wait and see if it actually does rain . . . and it decided to do so today. I don't mind it as it gives me an excuse to stay home and sew. Yes, another quilt is in the works. No, I didn't finish the last two I started last month.

It was also a good evening for a hot meal so I'm surprising my husband with homemade ravioli and light tomato sauce. My arm muscles got a workout rolling out the pasta dough. The whole process isn't difficult, just labor intensive to an extent. Anyway, the pasta is filled with spinach/cheese filling, the vegetables are ready for steaming, and the sauce is simmering. Just have to grate the Romano and enjoy the look on my husband's face when he comes in from work and smells dinner cooking.

No rain for tomorrow but a return of the precipitation is promised for Sunday. My daughter read that California has three seasons: Spring, Drought, and Fall. Not sure that is entirely true as proven by the delightful rainfall today.

You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if . . .

You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if:
It never occurred to you to be offended by the phrase, 'One nation, under GOD.'

You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if:
You've never protested about seeing the 10 Commandments posted in public places.

You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if:
You still say 'Merry Christmas' instead of 'Happy Holidays or Winter Festival.'

You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if:
You show respect when someone prays, even if you’re not a believer.

You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if:
You stand, place your hand over your heart (Veterans can render a hand salute) & face the U S Flag when they play our National Anthem.

You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if:
You treat Viet Nam vets with great respect and know Jane Fonda for what she really is.

You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if:
You've never burned an American flag.

You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if:
You know what you believe and you aren't afraid to say so, no matter who is listening.

You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if:
You respect other people, your elders, their property and you expect your kids to do the same.

You might be a True American if:
You get Goose bumps & a feeling of Pride wells in you when listening to our National Anthem.

Rainy Days and Hot Soup . . .

I will eat a bowl of soup most any day of the week and in most any weather. My husband says it seems to him that I get creative with the cold salads in the Winter and serve way too much soup in the Summer. He just doesn't understand inspiration!

My two, favorite soups are homemade tomato with rice and Chinese Egg Drop Soup. The Egg Drop Soup might finish just a bit ahead of the tomato in a serious contest!

The nice thing about the Chinese Egg Drop Soup is that it is easy to prepare and you can used canned or fresh chicken broth. I have to admit that homemade chicken broth does have an edge but both versions are hot and tasty.

Chinese Egg Drop Soup

3-4 cups of chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon of white, ground pepper (It's a bit hotter.)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 scallion (green onion), finely diced
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
Sesame oil

Combine the broth, salt, pepper, and soy sauce in a roomy cooking pot. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer. Drizzle in the eggs in 'strands' not all at once and keep stirring gently to form 'threads'. Toss in the scallion, add a teaspoon or two of sesame oil, and serve.

Yes, I've probably posted this in the past but I'm always coming up with various tweaks to make it taste better or go together easier!

Daylight Savings Time Switch This Weekend . . .

Spring forward . . . Fall back . . . The rules for the time changes every year. Most people prefer the 'Fall back' version because it seems that we gain an hour that we can put to such productive use. Not sure how. I just know that either time change version throws me off for a few days. You either wake up and it is earlier or later than you think!

When I was still working in an office, one of the secretaries didn't show up for work at eight o'clock. We kept waiting for her to call in but exactly at 8:55, she came off the elevator, walked in through the glass doors, and signed in for the day. She couldn't understand why we all burst out laughing. She had forgotten to change her clock!

I can't say too much on that subject as we got to Sunday Mass an hour early one year. Since we live minutes from home, we just headed back until the revised time to show up. We did note that there were several cars in the parking lot, however!

My predicament, this year, is my new alarm clock. The package said that it would automatically change for the Spring forward, Fall back change . . . but will it really? If we change it before we go to bed, just to be sure, will we be getting up two hours early? I'm willing to take that chance but my husband, who is already peeved that I insist on having my alarm clock seven minutes fast, would not welcome the extra awake time.

Wise Reminder from Thomas Merton . . .

The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them.

- Thomas Merton

The Foundation of Every Pie . . .

Many people avoid baking pies because the thought of making pie crust seems to be daunting to them. While the store-purchased dough for pie crust is adequate, it is cheaper and more tasty to attempt your own. This is an easy one.

Easy Pie Crust

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons iced water

Cut the shortening into the flour, sugar, and salt until you have rough crumbs. Blend in the water until the dough just clings together. Form into ball, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to fit the pie pan. Press into the pie pan and bring up along the edges to form a rim. You pie is now ready to fill! If you require a baked crust for a cream pie or such, poke holes around the bottom of the pie with a fork (to keep it from bubbling up) and bake at 350 degrees until golden.

Ideas . . .

I like to substitute half the iced water for cold vodka! No, I'm not a drinker but the vodka makes for a more tender crust. It is something about how the heat burns off the liquid.

If you are doing a baked pie crust for a sweeter pie, you can increase the sugar to 2 tablespoons and add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Really want an easy pie? Make enough instant pudding to fill the baked and cooled crust, top with whipped cream, and you are a culinary success!

Blessed with the Advent of Another Weekend . . .

The week just flew by, again. Why is it that the older ones gets, the faster the time goes by? I remember, as a child, getting pretty antsy around this time of the year because 'would Thanksgiving ever get here' and, after that, it seemed like an eternity until we were tearing into Christmas gifts. These days, I don't dare blink or find myself with minutes to spare before I have to be totally ready for the holidays.

Of course, the stores aren't much help. There is no chance for anticipation as the Halloween items were cheek to cheek to the Christmas decorations with Thanksgiving necessities filling in any gaps on the shelf. One stop holiday shopping?

I rather liked the gradual progression into festivities. It was always exciting when the Halloween candy appeared on the shelves. Of course, back in the day, it wasn't quite the 'holy day of obligation' the world has turned it into now. Hey, I don't even recall there being such a thing as a Halloween card. I still can't figure out why you would spend money and a stamp on wishing someone a Happy Halloween.

But, as soon as the Halloween candy appeared this year, the Christmas stuff was being stocked. We could actually have given out Christmas candy to the Trick or Treaters! Too much blurring of the holidays for me.

The sad part is Christmas. We have already been blasted with commercials about what 'everyone' wants for Christmas on television. I heard Walmart is holding a 'Black Friday' shopping day this week rather than the 'traditional' after Thanksgiving event. If things go like last year, Valentine's Day goodies will start coming in before they've even dusted off the shelves from the Christmas sales. Does anyone get a chance to appreciate and savor the holidays anymore?

The spirit of the holiday season is pretty much reduced in the frenzy of bargain shopping. The police warn us that crime is up, don't carry cash, and keep your shopping bags out of sight in your cars. Makes you wonder how a baby born in Bethlehem could incite all this? Naturally, Jesus did not propose this materialistic mob of people pushing each other through the aisles of the stores. He must find it sad that the people who make it a point to get up early for the sales, are the ones who stay home on Christmas and forget to attend church to give thanks for His sacrifice in coming among us.

Depends on the music, however!

Music washes away from the soul
the dust of everyday life. - Berthold Auerbach