On My Mind Today

Watching the news today often brings much disappointment and despair as I see events taking place in this country, and around the world. So much hatred, or mean spiritedness, seems to have taken over our society. People somehow feel they have the right to say whatever they are thinking without taking time to think through how it sounds. The words go directly from their head to their mouth without stopping at a filter. All of this sets us up for a world where nobody cares about their friends, neighbors or the strangers they encounter each day. Perhaps this is exactly what our world leaders are hoping for. If people are not paying attention to what they are doing, then it will enable them to do exactly as they please without thinking of the consequences for their citizens. There are times that I'm glad I won't be around in 30 years, when what seems inevitable happens from events being put into motion now. At times the fear and sadness in my heart, for my children and grandchi...

It is very easy to see nature's beauty on a bright, sunny day when you can see the sunshine sparkling on the water like thousands of diamonds. When you can feel the warmth of the sun on your skin and hear the birds singing as they fly overhead. You know the true beauty of nature when you can see it even on a rainy day. The sky may not be so clear and blue but there is much to appreciate if you can just sit quietly, look around you and be still long enough to focus on nature. There is a steady rain falling and as you look at the trees you can see the rain drops hitting the leaves and rolling off to the ground. Life's water that will nourish the plant life and insects that are buried in the ground (or hiding under the leaf on your tomato plants). Gray clouds in the sky take on their own shape and it is amazing the things you can see in them if you take the time to stop and use your imagination. Maybe you will see a child, an animal, mountains - who knows what your imagination can...

It won't be long before our garden produces fresh cucumbers. I do love eating them sliced with a bit of salt, or in a nice tossed salad, but do look for new ways to serve them. I found this cool and easy summer side dish in Taste of Home; it was provided by Mary Helen Hinson of Lamberton, NC. You do need to plan ahead as it needs to marinate in the refrigerator for at least four hours. I look forward to making this as soon as my cucumbers are ready! Marinated Cucumbers 6 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced 1 medium onion, sliced 1 cup white vinegar 1/4 to 1/3 cup sugar 1/4 cup olive oil 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon marjoram 1/2 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard In a large bowl, combine the cucumbers and onion. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the remaining ingredients; cover and shake well. Pour over cucumber mixture; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Serve with a slotted spo...

I have been gardening for years and have had many productive gardens, but none like this year. We did replace the soil in the vegetable and flower beds with new garden mix this spring, and between the stretches of hot, humid weather and days of rain mixed in, all the plants seem to be approaching jumbo size. After a cold spring that we thought would never give way to warmer weather, we were finally able to put plants in the ground. Of course after the last two years of battling the woodchucks, I wondered if we would face the same disappointment of losing plants to their feasting. I had decided that I would give up if they wiped us out again. Fortunately, they seem to have moved on to greener pastures as our garden has been woodchuck free so far. Between work and rainy days, I have not had time to tend to them as I should. The plants have not seemed to feel the neglect as they have thrived in spite of my lack of attention. We have tomato plants that are 4-5 feet tall with an abundance o...

Respect: A feeling or understanding that someone or something is important, serious, etc., and should be treated in an appropriate way. Compassion: Sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it. Kindness: The quality or state of being kind; a kind act. Three simple words that hold much power. Either by the use, or lack of use, in our society. Unfortunately today, there seem to be far too many not practicing the meaning of these words. Have we become that apathetic? Is this the cold world we want for our children? Respect - We should treat our family, friends and members of our community with dignity and respect. The use of sarcasm, or saying whatever we are thinking, displays a total disregard for those around us. We don't have to agree with someone, but we should respect their opinions and beliefs. Social media has made it too easy to disrespect someone as we hide behind a computer screen. At times it appears that some forget we are all h...

It’s pronounced Sca-chada and it is not quite a pizza or a calzone, Sciachiatta (sometimes spelled Scachatta) is a savory Italian pie made with a homemade pizza dough and filled with seasoned meat or Italian greens like rapini (broccoli rabe) or escarole. The shop we used to order it from changed their recipe, and unfortunately it was not for the better. I went on a search and found this recipe from Garlicgirl.com . It is even better than what we used to get from the Italian bakery. Like most recipes, many of the ingredients can be swapped out. If you’re not a big fan of meat, this dish is wonderful with lots of greens too! Sciachiatta Pie Crust 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour 2 teaspoons kosher salt 2 teaspoons granulated sugar 1 cup lukewarm water 1 ½ ounce packet (or 2¼ tsp) I used Fleishmann's Rapid Rise. Each packet contains 2¼ teaspoons. Pork Filling 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 pounds ground pork butt or Italian sausage 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes 1 teaspoon bl...

For all the chocolate and peanut butter lovers out there here is a decadent dessert. A warm chocolate cake topped with melted peanut butter and chocolate peanut butter candy can only be improved by topping  it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. From Sarah Olson ( themagicalslowcooker.com ), this dessert is not for those who are worried about calories. As I won't be making this until after my blog post, the picture comes from Sarah Olson's website. Slow Cooker Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake Slow Cooker 5-6 quart oval needed 15.25 oz. devil's food cake mix 1 cup water 1/2 cup salted butter, melted 3 eggs 8 oz. package mini Reese's peanut butter cups For Topping: 1 cup creamy peanut butter 3 tablespoons powdered sugar 10 bite-sized Reese's peanut butter cups In a large bowl mix together the cake mix, water, butter, and eggs until smooth. Some lumps are okay, that is normal. Stir in the mini peanut butter cups. Spray the slow cooker with non-stick spray. Add the batter to...