On My Mind Today

This past Sunday my daughter, two of her friends and my 3 year old granddaughter came over from Vermont to make a last trip to the ocean for the summer. We could not have asked for a more beautiful day and the water was actually warm enough to get into. That in itself is a miracle in New Hampshire at the end of August. With fall on the horizon the water has started cooling down as we get further away from the hot summer days of July. My granddaughter rode over to the coast with me, and my daughter and her friends followed. Nice quiet time with friends for Mom, and priceless time for me with Natalie. She starts off acting a bit shy, but then before we get too far she is telling me stories and singing to herself. So much fun to hear her precious voice from the back seat. She is definitely her mother's daughter and it brings back memories of when my girls were young. Natalie had the time of her life playing in the sand building walls to stop the incoming waves. Watching her run ou

It has been many years since I have had the opportunity to spend any time alone with my oldest daughter. We spend time together with her children, but not just the two of us. This past weekend I had the pleasure of having her company and doing some fun things. Our first afternoon we went shopping and found a wonderful designer resale shop that had a great selection of gently used clothing. Always fun to see what treasures you can find and many things look like they have never been worn. From there we went window shopping and just enjoyed our time together. On Saturday my boyfriend took us to Portsmouth, NH and we walked through town and around the waterfront to watch some of the boats coming in and out. We had a wonderful relaxing lunch and wandered a bit more before heading out. On our trip back home we took a detour and went to Flag Hill Winery for a wine and spirit tasting experience. They offer many great wines and distilled spirits. One of my favorites is their General John St

If you enjoy Mexican food then this will become one of your favorites. I found this recipe several years ago and it is a wonderful alternative to Italian style meatballs. Quick and easy to make and always a hit. Hope you enjoy it too!   Ablondigas     12 oz. Ground Pork 1/2 Cup Grated Zucchini 1/2 Cup Crushed Tortilla Chips 1/4 Cup Chopped Scallions 1/4 Cup Cilantro 1 Egg 1 Tsp. Minced Garlic 1 Tsp. Ground Cumin 1 Tsp. Dried Oregano   Mix ingredients in a large bowl. Roll into meatballs. Brown in a small amount of oil in skillet. Add 10 ounce can of Enchilada Sauce (red). You can use, mild, medium or hot depending on your taste. Cover and simmer for about 5-10 minutes (until meatballs are cooked). Serve with rice. I also use a second can of Enchilada Sauce to top rice and meatballs. Serves 4.     

This past weekend my daughter and grandchildren were with us for a few days. Always such a joy to spend time with them whether we just hang out and play in the lake or spend the day at the ocean. My grandson, who is 10 years old, has been coming to stay with us for 4-5 days each year since he was 2. He has had his special time with us going to museums in Boston and many other places. Emily is now 5 and  had recently started to ask when she would get her turn. My intent was to have her come stay for a couple of nights by herself this summer, but unfortunately the timing has not worked out. So when I knew they were coming over I decided to surprise her with a special day with her grandmother. When she found out she adamantly told her mother that it would be just she and I - not her and not Anthony. I did not tell her what we were going to do as I wanted it to be a surprise.   I knew that she loved dressing up like a princess (or a rock star) so figured that a girl's day of p

I'm not sure if it is the time of year, my age, or both, but it seems that I never have enough time lately to do all the things I want to do. I start each day with high hopes of accomplishing so many things on the never ending list of things to do. And even though I do get a lot done, the day seems to slip by so quickly. I believe that as the summer begins to creep by we do get the urge to get things in order so we will be ready for what is to come. Like animals preparing for the winter we scurry around to make sure our "nest" is warm and comfortable. In the midst of doing this time seems to zip by and no sooner than the day has begun, before we know it the sun is going down. Perhaps part of it is that as I age I realize how quickly time slips away. There are so many things I still want to do and places I want to see. Paris, Italy, Spain and perhaps a cruise down the Rhine - time for just the two of us. Time I want to spend with family, photo albums I want to put toge

As many of my blog followers know, I have been sharing my favorite dinner recipes over the last several months. Since I love sweets, and love to bake, I figured that it was time to start sharing some of my favorite desserts. A meal is not complete until I have had my coffee and dessert. It doesn't have to be fancy, but it does have to be sweet. I hope that you enjoy the recipes I will be sharing each month.   Mini Ricotta Chocolate Chip Pies     1 Cup Ricotta, whole milk (drain any excess liquid) 1 Cup Powdered Sugar 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract 1/2 Cup Mini Chocolate Chips 4 - Keebler Mini Graham Cracker Pie Crusts   Mix Ricotta, Powdered Sugar and Vanilla. Fold in Mini Chocolate Chips. Pour into Graham Cracker Pie Crusts Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Before serving top with Whipped Cream and sprinkle with Mini Chocolate Chips     

Today is an absolutely beautiful day - mostly sunny with the temperatures in the upper 60's and a nice breeze. Beautiful for a September day, not for the beginning of August! It is too soon to feel the cold air at night and much too early to have temperatures below 70 during the day. Fall truly is my favorite time of year, but I am not ready for it yet. There are still many guests coming to enjoy the fun times of summer. Trips to the ocean, rides on the boat, fishing in the lake, cookouts on the back deck and so much more. Too much time to be spent with family and great friends, catching up on old times and making new memories. There never seem to be enough days of summer to fit everything in. Funny how the time appears to go by so much faster the older we get. My mother has always said this, but I now know what she means. My summers seemed to last for a very long time, or so it seemed, until the last few years. Now when I blink my eyes another month has disappeared, and I feel

From the 1950's, and up to as far as the 70's and 80's, people had real hope of achieving the American dream. To have a good life with a secure job and all the things needed to provide for our families. The opportunities were there, and these things were attainable if you were willing to work hard. That same American dream seems so far out of reach for young families today. I worry about my children, and wonder what kind of life my grandchildren will have when they reach adulthood. How will they save for the future, and for retirement, when it takes all they earn for the basics? Getting a college education has become almost cost prohibitive. Even if you do go to college and incur that kind of debt, you may never make enough money to get out from under it. I look back to when I started to raise my children and the Federal minimum wage was $3.10 per hour. That was over 30 years ago, and the Federal minimum wage today is only $7.25 per hour. We had our tough times, but I d