Gramma's Pen

Monday, February 19, 2007

1923 1935 1947 1954 1971 1983 1995 2007

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR

Because of this occasion, we had an excuse to gather our gang together and have Chinese Dinner on Saturday Night. Of course this required a lot of chopping which we did beforehand and then at the last minute we put everything together. It was a cooperative effort which made it more fun. Soup brought me a pile of iris. John and Josh brought almond cookies. Brocks brought egg rolls and Jecky stood at my new counter and made cream cheese egg rolls from scratch. Kedj set up tables and benches. and made a tasty fruit punch. We left the lanterns in the party box, just used our bright red and white tablecloth and white plates. Darlene was not feeling well so we saved plates for her and John. Debbie had to work so we sent home a sampling with the Angels.

PINEAPPLE PORK
3 country style lean, meaty spare ribs
1 can pineapple tidbits
garlic salt
3 packs of Splenda
dash of apple cider vinegar
soy sauce
chopped green onions
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 Tablespoon water
Trim the meat of all visible fat. Generously sprinkle garlic salt on all surfaces. Put in crockpot and add the juice from the pineapple can. Cook on high for 4 hours. Remove meat and cool until it can be handled. Add pineapple chunks. Pull into serving sized pieces. Add soy sauce. Stir in slurry of cornstarch and water to thicken. Return meat to pot. Turn crockpot to low and keep until rest of meal is ready to serve. Sprinkle with chopped green onions at the table. ENJOY.

ORANGE CHICKEN
8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
Zest of one orange
One onion cut into crescents
Two carrots, sliced diagonally
Two cups chicken broth
Two inches of peeled chopped ginger
Toasted sesame seeds
Olive oil
Two stalks chopped celery
1/2 cup Paul Newman ginger-sesame salad dressing
Two cans Mandarin orange segments.
Two Tablespoons Honey (optional)
One half chopped green bell pepper (optional)
One can sliced mushrooms
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 Tablespoon water
Saute onions, ginger, carrots and celery in a little bit of olive oil. Add chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces and mushrooms. Add chicken broth, salad dressing and honey. Sprinkle over orange zest. Thicken with slurry of cornstarch and water. Just before serving gently stir in mandarins and toasted sesame seeds.

BEEF BROCCOLI
One round steak, partially frozen.
One onion sliced into crescents
One half green bell pepper
Two cups beef broth (can use boullion cubes and water
Cornstarch
Water
Two small heads of broccoli, stems slivered
Soy sauce
Saute onions and pepper in a little olive oil. Brown beef. Add broth, soy sauce and
thicken with slurry. Put broccoli on top and cover to steam.

Beef Chow Mein
Round steak sliced thin
One onion sliced into crescents
One half green bell pepper
Sliced two stalks of celery
Handful of Sno Peas.
One can sliced mushrooms
One can bamboo shoots
One bag spinach
Two packages Ramen
Any other vegetable you may have on hand
Saute onion, celery, pepper. Push aside. Saute beef strips. Add two cups beef broth , soy sauce and Ramen. Thicken with slurry. Lastly add spinach, sno peas, bamboo shoots and mushrooms.

Serve all these recipes with lots of fluffy white rice.

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Bright and Sunny

And there was great joy in that city. Acts 8:8

Just home from our traditional Tuesday Morning Breakfast get together with John and Darlene and Coyle. Last night I remarked to my daughter..."How blest we are to have such a loving, caring assembly family. We can go anywhere in the world and be welcomed with warmth and open arms." Now I'm off to finish up some letter writing.

Sunday, February 11, 2007

What a wonderfull fellowship day...we had visitors from all over...a bunch of Adkins from Tehachapi, Tom and Marie from San Diego, Dan, Rachel and Kids from Walla Walla, of course, Clem and Mina who are wintering here from Illinois, Craig from Shadow Hills, John from Fullerton. Young Luke, back from Africa, had Sunday School. We worked on the second chapter of Hosea. Theme of meeting was about shepherds and lambs, etc. And we had pouring down rain. The cheapie umbrellas I put in the coatrack a while back, somehow have walked away during our dry summer. Yesterday JL and TL took me to the annual quilt show. I was really disappointed...not in the workmanship for most of it was good, but the choice of patterns was dull and the color combinations were atrocious. A couple of Bargello entries caught my eye as well as a few Double Irish Chains. KJ cleaned out some of the dead stuff from our little yard. That frost really hit hard. Went to Brocks for supper. Tried a new recipe for Sunday Lunch...POLISH SPRINGS...Twisty noodles, sauerkraut, Polilsh sausage, caraway seeds and sour cream. We had it warm, but I"m sure it would be good cold. Rose made a twisty noodle with pesto salad. It's really hard to be selective when going through the buffet line because everything looks so-o-o-o-o good. KJ brought me home right after lunch for I was really exhausted from the big day yesterday. I camped out with my weave-it loom in front of the fireplace...I sure can't get a square done in 15 minutes. Guess I'll just have to try harder.