Author: Gail

Unlock Your Newfound Potential; Part 1

It’s an Indiana Spring. New beginnings. The boxwood bushes show youthful growth every day. Before long their wild shoots will reach out to bridge the gap between the solid hedge and the vinyl siding on the front of the house just beneath the office window. Over time, in a slow determined effort, Nature left its mark on the pale gray siding. Remnants of fuzzy, green moss attached to the north side of the house. Being determined to challenge Nature and eliminate the blobs, an intimidating bright yellow machine on wheels is parked in front of the pane of glass. Its reflection shows a timid, middle-aged woman, hair hanging loose with several strands tucked behind one ear. Worn blue jeans threadbare at the knees, long-sleeved shirt (to keep mosquitoes from having a smorgasbord), canvas garden gloves protecting a recent manicure, and dingy white Nikes, all come together as protective armor for the job at hand.  

“Now how in the world do you start this thing?”, she murmurs to herself. 
“Oh yeah, it needs water.”
Around the back yard a sun-bleached rubber garden hose hangs coiled over the fence to keep it suspended above the ground. She checks for spiders and bees, two vicious insects that snicker and laugh every time the woman jumps, scrambling to stay out of reach. Following a wave of her gloved hand and the stomp of her foot, the hose uncoils and snakes around to the base of where the power washer sits patiently to begin the task at hand. Stay tuned………

Nominated For The Real Neat Blog Award!

e's avatarWELCOME

Nominated For The Real Neat Blog Award!

Super honored, beyond thrilled and rarely speechless; I’ve been nominated by my cyber roadie Sean!

Though they’re not required to accept the nomination, it’s my pleasure to pay it forward!

So here are the rules:

1. Put the award logo on your blog.

2. Answer 7 questions asked by the person who nominated you.

3. Thank the people who nominated you, linking to their blogs.

4. Nominate any number of bloggers you like, linking to their blogs.

5. Let them know you nominated them (by commenting on their blog etc.)


•THE COVETED 7 QUESTIONS•


1. Where do most visits to your blog come from?

United States, Canada and the United Kingdom


2. What is your favorite sport?

Mental sparring😉


3. What has been a special moment for you in 2014?

An ‘Aha Moment’ after a close call. Serious health scare…

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Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter I

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen?  Italian Pasta Mediterranean!  This exotic colorful pasta dish will have you rolling your eyes in satisfaction over the hearty gourmet intensity. Its blend of gastronomic flavor tempts the taste buds to have a second helping of this culinary delight. 

ITALIAN PASTA MEDITERRANEAN 
Ingredients:
8 ounces penne pasta
Salt to taste
1/2 pound Italian salami, thinly sliced
1/2 pound asparagus spears
1/2 cup diced sun-dried tomatoes 
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon marjoram 
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
Parsley Sprig for garnish 
Instructions:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt. Add penne pasta and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta and transfer it to a large pasta bowl. 
Next to steam asparagus, place water in the bottom half of a steamer pan set. Bring to boil. Trim ends off the asparagus. Cut into quarters. Place in top half of steamer pan set. Steam for 5 minutes until tender. 
For dressing, mix olive oil, oregano, basil, marjoram, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes in small bowl. 
Combine penne pasta, asparagus pieces, diced sun-dried tomatoes, and salami rounds. Pour olive oil dressing over all. Gently mix. Add pine nuts. Garnish with fresh parsley sprig. Serve warm with garlic toast. This is an excellent side dish to Chicken Cacciatore. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter H

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen?  Hearty Ham and Bean Soup. I’m such a morning person which is why I can throw together a meal, as soon as I grab my first cup of coffee, and let it slow cook all day long. The aroma wafting throughout the kitchen is enough to make your mouth water in anticipation. This hearty bean soup can be simmered stove-top or in the crock pot. You choose. 

HEARTY HAM AND BEAN SOUP
Ingredients:
8 cups water
1 pound bag of dried Mixed Beans
1 can (8oz.) tomato sauce
2 1/4 pounds smoked ham chunks
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon instant beef bouillon 
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper 
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 potatoes, cubed
2 medium carrots, cut up
2 stalks celery, cut up
3 whole bay leaves
Instructions:
Heat water and dried mixed beans to boiling in Dutch oven; boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 1 hour. 
Add tomato sauce, smoked ham chunks, onion, instant bouillon, salt, pepper, and garlic to beans. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until beans are tender, about two hours. Do not boil or beans will burst. Skim fat if necessary. 
Stir potatoes, carrots, and celery into soup. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Add whole bay leaves. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about one hour. Stir in 1 cup of water for thinner consistency. Makes 8 servings. 

Press On With Linen and Lavender 

I like to iron. I find comfort in it.  Maybe it’s because I’m a Baby-Boomer who grew up in an age where common sense meant making choices that gave one an advantage, a leg up, so to speak.  My family lived on a very limited income, so making the most of what we had was often all there was to make ends meet.  My closet contained a few skirts or dresses for school and special outfits for church.  Thank goodness I had older cousins who gifted me with hand-me-downs.  Yet, I didn’t mind.  My mother had a rigid schedule:  Wash clothes on Monday, Iron clothes on Tuesday, Clean the House on Wednesday, Mop the floors on Thursday, and so on.   

I began ironing my blue jeans when I was a teenager.  It came about more out of necessity simply because, at a time when most girls averaged between 5′ and 5’5″, my legs were very long.  And I was tall and skinny, which had me towering over my brothers and  most boys.  I discovered if I used a steam iron, I could stretch the denim to make the jeans longer.   Well, one thing led to another and before I knew it, I was ironing everything from tea towels to tee shirts.  
Nowadays, I revel in ironing my Turkish tea towels and French linens by spritzing them with Mary Ellen’s Best Press lavender-tinted starch alternative.  It smells like I’m ironing in the south of France.  The end result?  Everything is left with a crisp, new finish.  Yes, I still iron my blue jeans and tee shirts. Old habits die hard.  Every once in awhile I sneak one of my husband’s Oxford shirts into the laundry basket and mist it with the heavenly scent of French lavender while pressing it wrinkle free. Perhaps its lingering fragrance takes him somewhere in time.  Back to the days when we strolled down ancient cobblestone streets, sipping strong coffee in open cafés, basked in the warm sunshine holding hands, stealing kisses, eating baguettes, and drinking French wine.

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter G

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Goat Cheese Baked in an Herb Crust! This elegant appetizer is the perfect compliment for an intimate gathering. The soft creamy cheese spreads nicely on bagel chips and water biscuits. I serve it together with shrimp cocktail and Sauvignon Blanc simply because of its aromatic uniqueness. 

GOAT CHEESE BAKED in an HERB CRUST
Ingredients:
8 ounce Goat Cheese Log
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
Herbs:
1 tablespoon oregano 
1 tablespoon basil
1 tablespoon marjoram 
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon minced onion
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°. Combine herbs and sprinkle on a piece of waxed paper. Gently roll the cheese log in the herb mixture to coat it completely. Place goat cheese in a covered baker and drizzle with olive oil. Bake covered until softened, about 15-20 minutes. For a crusty top, brown for a few minutes more under the broiler. 
***Leftovers are a delicious substitute for mozzarella in the recipe for Letter C, Caprese Salad. 

Play At Your Own Risk

“Nana, look at me!”, squealed Kamdyn, the active blonde-haired preschooler. She and her nine-year old brother, Landen, had forfeited an afternoon of sitting at home playing Xbox action games and perusing the internet for baby videos on YouTube. They tumbled instead into the back seat of the late model car to spend six hours with Grandpa and Nana.  Currently they were among hoards of kids heartily involved in physical activity at the newly-opened “Rec Plex”, an indoor recreation center. Kamdyn was hanging upside down on the parallel bars swinging hands-free as her ponytail nearly brushed the cushioned floor mat. Her eyes danced with laughter as she viewed the world topsy-turvy.  

Meanwhile, Landen was buckled into harness gear ready to challenge a sequence of towering rock walls before him.  Upon closer scrutiny, obstacles were placed from floor to ceiling designed to test balance and agility. Some steps whirled creating a false sense of security while others slanted causing the climber to anchor sure footing before ascending further. Climbers Beware. One false move could trigger a misstep resulting in a safety harness free-fall back to the base. Now it was Landen’s turn.  He drew a deep breath and focused his attention on the summit above him. Within seconds he began the vertical ascent. In synchronized motion, he calculated each step along the way, testing the objects for stationary weight resistance. The upward slope was jumbled with hand grips as well as distance markers. Halfway to the top he paused, looked in our direction for moral support, and then climbed higher.  Once he reached the peak, he grabbed the ringer to sound the brass bell before scaling back down the rock wall. A quick victory cheer and he was on to the next challenge.  Meanwhile, Kamdyn cart-wheeled acrobatically down the sloping trampoline ramp leading to the gigantic pool of foam blocks.  “Nana, I did it!”, she shouted afterwards in a thrilling voice. It just goes to show you, the youth of today are willing to leave technology behind in lieu of normal physical activity.  In their innocence, they strive for encouragement as well as an outlet to gain our attention and approval.