The Girl Who Shoots in Highlighter Shoes

 She's the sort of girl that grabs your attention,

 she stands out against the backdrop

 and really gets her point across.

Such a colorful personality, I've never seen.

 But OH MY,

Did you see these shoes!?

LOL, they truly are highlighters!

She was practicing with her Daisy Buck BB gun,

a pretty good shot for a beginner,

especially with those distracting colors on her feet.

Although I will say, she's head and shoulders 

above what Pops and I used to wear when we

were teens.  (Anyone remember flannel shirts

and hip hugger, big bell jeans?  I do!)

Fashionable too!

For a crazy girl.

Pop's orange hunting hat,

Grandma's winter scarf,

Highlighter shoes.

This will make such a lovely photo

displayed at her future wedding reception!

Bad Grandma.

Juniper Berries and Kraut

We're trying our hand at making sauerkraut this year

using the pretty crock we picked up last week.

My neighbor, Simone, who is from Germany sent over

some German juniper berries that is essential to 

the kraut recipes that she if familiar with.

There are a variety of recipes and methods

  plus probiotic and anti-inflamatory benefits associated 

with fermenting cabbage so we're eager to try it

this year.  According to sources, the Romans

carried it with them to prevent intestinal infections 

when they were on military campaigns.

In addition, it provides vitamin C which prevents scurvy

and anyone who knows me well enough knows

I'm am peculiarly concerned about scurvy! 

I have no idea why, blame it on my history teachers!

Now, I just have to learn to like it!

It looks like you can add other vegetables to it

which may improve the taste.

Let's hope!

Potato Bag - Adorable Cooker

 My neighbor, Simone, made this cute potato bag for me!

I love the fabric, so bright and colorful.  

Wouldn't it make a great gift collection paired with

pot holders, casserole dish carriers and an apron?

    

  You slide the potato inside the bag

Place it in the microwave and it will keep the potato

moist and fluffy inside with a tender outer skin.

They can be used not only for potatoes but 

 various other vegetables such as corn on the cob.

I  found these cute gifts for her children on sale at Kohls.

My children played with Playmobile toys, sort of like

Legos or Little People, a very nice product.

This set was $49.99 marked down to $4.99 on clearance!

 I found this Disney set for her older daughter, 

on sale from $30 down to $11.

It's great to go to Kohls the night before the sale,

they already have items marked down in anticipation 

for the morning shoppers.

The Poor Don't Get a Vacation

The poor don't get a vacation,

as our priest reminded us the other day.

During March and April our church is collecting

canned meat goods for the St Vincent DePaul food pantry.

These would be items such as tuna, pasta with meat, soups with meat,

Spam and chili with meat, etc.  And, as a bonus,

someone or some organization is matching what we collect,

either in cash or product!

 Even if your organization isn't actively donating, 

pick up a few extra cans each shopping trip

and donate to a local food pantry.

It doesn't have to be brand name,  I'm sure the hungry

will appreciate anything you can spare.

I also tend to add a few cans of pet food too, just in case.

(Before anyone complains that you shouldn't have pets

if you can't afford them, sometimes the poor become poor very quickly,

  perhaps through the loss of a job or sudden health issues.)

  

The poor might be your neighbors and you may have no idea

how they are struggling, so if you can send a few cans over

to the food pantry, please do. 

Don't wait for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The poor are hungry all year long.

After 37 Years I Finally Got to Wear It

There it is- right on my finger, 

just where it SHOULD have been 37 years ago.

It's his class ring

Parkway North Sr High School 

St. Louis (Creve Coeur) MO

Class of 77

My husband and I have been together since I was 14

when he popped out from behind his locker between

classes and asked me to go steady.

This was back in 1974 when we were in Junior High.

I said yes.

We had lived in the same subdivision, just a few houses apart,

since 2nd grade.  Of course back then all boys had cooties

and the girls gave each other shots on a daily basis if we

even got near a boy! 

One thing led to another and there we were, 

still together during our senior year in high school

when everyone was getting their class rings.

Did I get to wear his ring, you might ask.

Well, no.  I did not.

Not until 2014 when we found it in his mom's drawer.

My daughter picked it up and asked

"Who graduated in 1977?"

 I grabbed it-

 "Your dad did," but I'm wearing it now!

Ahhh, so nice.

Some things are worth waiting 37 years for.

 I'll have to clean up mine and store them away together.

St Pat's Recipes (Bacon Dill Scones & Cheddar Ale Dip)

Bacon Dill Scones

 From Women's World March 2000

We are going next door to celebrate St Pat's with family, 

everyone making part of the dinner.  

We are bringing Bacon Dill Scones

Deviled Eggs

Cheddar Ale Dip

and 

Cabbage Bacon Noodle Bake (really Polish, not Irish)

I'll post the Scone and Dip recipes below but first

some of you know that I don't cook well-

I can bake just fine, it's meal planning that I struggle with-

the timing of getting it all to work out at the same time.

This was perfect for me, make it early.

Tune the Rosemary Clooney channel into Pandora

that we stream through our Roku.

This is important- get in the right mood

all that classic American songbook music of the 40s-50s 

is some of my favorites.

Put on your favorite apron and sing along as you cook.

(Thankfully, no one was here to hear me!)

First the ingredients

6 slices of bacon, crispy and chopped finely

2 C flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 C butter cut into small pieces

2/3 C buttermilk

2/3 Tablespoon chopped dill

1 tsp grated lemon zest

1 egg, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 425

  You can cook your bacon in the oven for 6-8 minutes

but I cheated and used the microwave.

Chop the bacon finely

In a large bowl combine:

flour, baking powder, soda and salt

With a pastry cutter cut in butter until the mixture becomes coarse

Stir in buttermilk, dill, zest and bacon  until combined.

If too dry, add a touch more buttermilk

Divide dough in half on a floured surface

and shape into two 5 inch circles.

     Cut each circle into 4 wedges

Place on baking sheet and brush with egg.

Bake 15 minutes

You can cool and serve immediately or serve completely cool later. 

Cheddar Ale Dip

 10 minutes to prep, chill for an hour before serving

1  8 oz pkg of cream cheese at room temperature

 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated/shredded

1/3 Cup ale or beer (I used Samuel Adams Cream Stout)

1/3 Cup chopped onion

 1 TBL Worcestershire sauce

1 TBL honey

3/4 tsp paprika (I used Hungarian sweet)

1/2 tsp Tabasco/hot sauce (I would add more next time)

Assorted Crackers.

In a food processor add all the ingredients and process until smooth.

Transfer to a bowl and chill for an hour before serving.

The taste will mellow out in the chilling process.

Spread on crackers to serve.

It makes about 2 cups

Deviled Eggs

(I would typically add Durkee's but we were out)

  I do use the deviled egg recipe in the 

Better Homes Cookbook

You can tell it is one of my favorite pages!

I make a couple of eggs more than it calls for

because with fresh eggs, I always get one that looks

rather like a zombie egg after peeling.

I'll use the yokes to make more filling and adjust 

the recipe accordingly.

 I won't type complete instructions since it's a classic

but really you can just make it taste like you want

with a combination of mayo, mustard, vinegar and salt/pepper.

They recommend (6 eggs) 1/4 C mayo to 1 tsp vinegar,

1 tsp yellow mustard and 1/8 tsp salt with a dash of pepper.

I use apple cider vinegar, but that's just me.

I also top most of them with the 

sweet Hungarian paprika, leaving a few without for those

that prefer their eggs plain.

 My husband is making the cabbage/bacon/noodle bake

(an artery clogger for sure but it certainly tastes good!)

Dan and Gina are working on the corned beef and 

some side vegetables plus dessert.

I Can't Believe She Fell for It

I can't believe she fell for it!

The girls were going through a drawer of old costume jewelry,

  splitting up the items that everyone thought they would wear.

We finally got around to doing this, something

that had been planned even before my mother in law

 moved to the nursing home. My father in law was going to schedule

a day for us to get together but time got away from us.

I can't begin to tell you how many clip on earrings, pairs intact,

were still in the drawer - and all of us with pierced ears,

and no desire to pinch our ears to death (more on this later)

I came across what I thought was a lone chunky clip on,

black with gold trim and only mild pressure upon closing.

I had an idea!!

"Hey Taylor, come here," I called out.

"Look what I found, it's Nanny's old nose ring!"  

(soft "a" in Nanny, like AH)

 She gave me THAT LOOK-

"No, really," I said.

"They didn't have pierced nose rings way back then,

they used clip ons.  Do you want to try it?"

"Sure!" she said as I gently attached the "clip" to her nose.

She was so excited. She ran to the next room to tell

Pop's (grandpa) and great uncle Dan.

"Look, I've not Nanny's nose ring on!" she joyfully exclaimed.

The guys now gave her THE LOOK.

Really. You fell for that?

 Then she knew.

OF COURSE Nanny didn't wear a nose ring,

she's 82 for goodness sakes!

"GRANDMA!"

Oh, oh.  I think she knows!! 

  I'm going on a hunt for a clip earring conversion kit,

there are just too many cute earrings to let this go by.

I'm not much of a jewelry person at all.  I wear 

my wedding ring, a ring for the other hand  (sometimes)

and one necklace.  I rarely change out my post earrings

but I would if I could convert some of her clips.

I

Semper Fi, Gunny Richard Usher 10/5/1930 - 3/1/2014

On March 1, 2014 Richard Usher, my father in law, passed away

after a short stay in the hospital preceded by several months of

declining health.  It was expected, yet unexpected.

We sent him off exactly as he would have wanted.

A brief viewing at the local funeral parlor

with the Marine Corps Pass in Review.

  

Then to Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery

for the gun salute and flag presentation to my daughter, Becky.

I began dating my husband when I was 14 years old so I've been with the family for a very long time.  We lived in the same subdivision, about six houses apart, since we were in second grade.  Dick was a great story teller and over the years we listened to his stories of growing up in Kerry Patch located in  North St Louis - back then a very poor neighborhood of Irish,  immigrants with a smattering of Jewish, Polish and Italian folks.  He worked as  tile setter's helper after dropping out of school at age 16 but joined the Marines at age 21, serving until the end of the war.  He met my mother in law "in a 3.2 tavern" and it was the beginning of a journey that lasted a lifetime and produced many great stories, in addition to a couple of great brothers:  Tom and Dan 

Arden Ruth Mueller Usher

Before he shipped out to Korea, Dick hitchhiked across to country for a visit home.  Finally arriving, he had only 4 pennies left in his pocket.  His mother kept those pennies and to this day they hang in his bar area displayed in a simple frame.  

  

His crew fired the last round in the war --  These are his words . . .  

The Real Story of the Last Round Fired in Korea

I was the Section Chief of gun 5 in H-3-11. On the morning of 27 July,

1953, I left the  Battery to go on R&R in Japan.  Sgt. Jerry Lannert

was my assistant Section Chief and left in charge.

At   2138, when the  firing mission was fired, and the guns checked in,

“check  #1, check #2, etc.”  When they got to # 5, Jerry reported a misfire on #5.  “I THINK I GOT A HANG FIRE!”

The exec pit said to try to fire it out.  With a big grin on his face, he

said, “This is the last round.”  

Jerry died some years ago, but the 105mm brass is engraved and polished in his family room.

Husband to Arden Usher

Father to Tom and Dan Usher,

 Grandfather to Becky and Sean Usher,

Great Grandfather to Taylor Usher and

Father in Law to Kathy and Gina Usher.

We sent him off in style.

A last toast to Dick Usher.

Jim Beam shed a tear 

but the angels rejoiced.

A Brief Thaw

A day without new snow!   

The chicks were happy, they are frightened of

the white scary stuff.  Once we added

a layer of straw it was better but now we 

also have a short thaw.  I was home today 

so I took advantage of the time to clean out the fridge

and found some apples that were just a little soft.

Between apples, celery, a few grapes and lettuce,

the chicks had some nice treats.

The winter has been hard on them

and there are way too many in the coop.

We need to thin the flock a bit, 

particularly since we have several roosters.

From past experience, having multiple roosters

has not worked out well.

Although we may not be completely over 

with ice and snow, things are looking up.

Check out what came in the mail today!

I've got my list going already.