Column from September 10, 2009

Enjoying the end of summer

One of our favorite hobbies is rock hounding. We have quite a variety of local petrified wood in our yard and several jars of agates and other small stones here and there around the house.

This coming weekend, we will be taking our annual trip to the Teanaway, north of Cle Elum, to meet up with the All-Rockhounds Pow Wow Club, which we have been members of for many years, to hunt for some interesting specimens.

In fact, my husband’s parents were some of the founding members of the group way back when.

I hope the weather holds as we will be camping out in our tent and sleeping bags. And as it’s in the mountains, it can get a little chilly at night, especially this time of year. After all, summer is quickly coming to an end and fall is just around the corner.

But no matter how the weather is, we always have a fun time visiting with other rock hounds. Saturday night is a huge potluck dinner and there’s always a big Sunday breakfast before everyone heads home.

If anyone is interested finding out more information about the group and might like to join us, give me a call at 855-6677.

Rock hounding is more than just finding the perfect rock to add to a collection. For me, I enjoy the hiking and wildlife viewing, as well as some time to sit and relax with a good book with no distractions. It’s always so quiet and peaceful and a nice time to just sit and think.

Of course, with all that fresh air and exercise, snacks are definitely in order.

One of my favorites is chocolate chip cookies. This is a new recipe for me and it sounds really tasty.

Give it a try and let me know how it turns out for you.

Chocolate chunk cookies

½ cup (1 stick) butter

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ cup rolled oats

1-1/4 cups chocolate chunks

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease two large baking sheets.

2. Combine the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl. Beat with a wooden spoon or an electric mixer set on medium speed until creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract; set aside.

3. Sift flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda into a small bowl. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating continuously. Stir in the rolled oats and chocolate chunks.

4. Spoon tablespoonfuls of the dough, about 2 inches apart, onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake cookies until lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cookies cool for 1 minute before transferring to wire racks. Repeat with any remaining dough.

Note: Use semisweet, milk or white chocolate, or a combination of all three, for the chocolate chunks. Substitute raisins for a healthier treat.

Remember, your recipes are always welcome and I’d love to feature some of them in my column. You can send them to me at labordi at hotmail dot come.

Please include a few lines about the recipe – where you got it, what makes it special to you, etc. – to share with our readers.

Column from September 3, 2009

Fall means fresh produce

You can definitely tell fall is just around the corner.

Even though it still gets hot during the day, as soon as the sun starts going down, the temperature starts dropping. Soon, the leaves will begin turning colors.

Growing up in the Midwest, fall meant a plethora of colors in the landscape. Trees were every shade of red, yellow and orange.

Here in Othello, we don’t have a lot of trees that change to those wonderful autumn colors. That’s why when we removed the two dying locust trees from our yard, we planted an autumn blaze maple. I can’t wait to see the red leaves this fall.

Autumn also means a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. That’s one of the best things about this time of year.

From squash to tomatoes to corn to melons, meals become just as colorful as those changing leaves.

I took a trip to Sunny Farms this past weekend. For those who haven’t been there, it’s located just east of Wal-Mart and offers wonderful produce.

I picked up watermelons, cantaloupes, sweet corn and green peppers. What a treat!

Add to those the freshly dug potatoes we were given and mealtime was fit for a king.

One of my favorite meals is stuffed green peppers. My mother used to make them when I was a little girl and I cook up a batch every now and then.

When I saw those green peppers at Sunny Farms, I couldn’t resist a bag full. They were just gorgeous … so bright green and huge. I haven’t seen green peppers that big in a long time.

Just the smell can start the mouth watering.

I’ve never used an actual recipe for my stuffed peppers, but I’m going to create one just for Table Scraps. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does.

Stuffed green peppers

6 large green bell peppers

2 to 3 pounds ground beef

¾ cup rice

½ cup finely chopped onion

2 eggs

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon pepper

15-ounce can tomato sauce

Cut tops off the green peppers, remove core and seeds and trim veins. Rinse thoroughly and set aside.

Combine ground beef, rice, onion, eggs and seasonings. Stuff firmly into green peppers.

Stand stuffed peppers in a casserole dish. Pour tomato sauce over the top. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for one to one and a half hours or until stuffing is cooked through.

Remove cover and bake about 15 minutes or until tomato sauce begins to brown.

Makes six servings.

Column from August 27, 2009

Back to school treat

Here in Othello, school was back in session yesterday.

It’s often a fun time for kids – new clothes, new backpacks, new pencils and paper.

Everyone looking forward to renewing friendships and getting to know their teachers.

Of my three children, it was my daughter who was the most enthusiastic about school. She was definitely my overachiever.

She hated missing a day and would even fight staying home no matter how sick she felt. She also had perfect grades even in kindergarten.

I still remember the day she brought home her first B. She was devastated and went on and on about it.

Of course, I told her it was still a good grade and that she couldn’t expect to get an A all the time. But my little perfectionist didn’t believe me … even when I reminded her that B was in PE!

My youngest son, on the other hand, couldn’t wait to get home. Those school lunches just weren’t quite enough to fill his tummy.

Today, he’s 6-foot-3, so you can imagine what an eater he was growing up. I would buy snack cakes and throw a few in his backpack every day just to get him through those hours at school.

And there would always be snacks waiting for them when they got home.

One of their favorites was – and still is – zucchini bread. Not only is it tasty and uses up all those zucchinis that take over the garden, it’s also easy to eat while doing homework.

This is my favorite recipe for that yummy treat.

Zucchini bread

3 eggs, slightly beaten

1 cup oil or melted margarine

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups grated zucchini

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

3 teaspoons cinnamon

Add oil, sugar, vanilla and zucchini to eggs. Combine remaining ingredients and toss together with eggs mixture until moistened.

Add 1 cup nuts, if desired.

Pour batter into two greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour (325 degrees for glass pans).

Makes two loaves.

Column from August 20, 2009

Table Scraps: Enjoying a great time with family

The cooler weather this past weekend made for a nice change from the triple digits we have been living with the past month.
Don’t worry, though, those hot temperatures are expected to return with a vengeance.
All in all, I think most people who live here pretty much accept that August is going to be hot. But for those visiting our semi-arid desert, they may not take to these temperatures quite so easily.
For example, this past Sunday, the Morgans got together for a little family reunion at a park in Moses Lake. There were about 75 people who showed up from all around the state.
We had a lot of fun and everyone commented on the beautiful weather. Well, the break in temperatures meant it was about 80 degrees. That is pretty comfortable for most people, no matter where they are from.
So, thanks to Mother Nature, we had lots of fun visiting with each other. I met some of Eric’s side of the family I hadn’t been introduced to before.
They are a great bunch of folks and it was very enjoyable.
Of course, family get-togethers like that always mean lots of great food. We had a huge potluck with quite a variety of dishes.
We also had tons of tomatoes! It seemed like everyone brought some of the extras from their home gardens, so we had every size, shape and style you could imagine.
Tomatoes love the hot weather, so there were more than enough to go around. By passing them out at these types of get-togethers, it gave the home growers a break as the cooler temperatures slow the plants down a bit.
So, take those tomatoes and either eat them by themselves or in a salad. And while you’re at it, add a nice steak or chicken that has been barbecued.
Here’s a great recipe for a marinade that will spice up the meat so it will truly complement that salad.

Teriyaki barbecue marinade

1/3 cup soy sauce (Chinese brand)
1 ounce white wine
1 teaspoon onion flakes
¼ teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon parsley flakes
¼ teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon honey

Mix soy sauce and wine to make half a cup. Toss in other ingredients and mix completely.
Marinade meat overnight in refrigerator and baste meat while cooking.

Column from August 13, 2009

Fiesta offers unique blend of music

This weekend marks the 11^th anniversary of American Fiesta Amistad.

Fiesta features a unique blend of Anglo and Hispanic bands from around the area. The two days promise to have something to please everyone.

I’ve attended Fiesta Amistad since the first year. Not only do you get to hear some great music, it’s also a wonderful opportunity to visit with others from the community.

It’s a chance to sit back and relax. Enjoy the company of old friends and meet some new ones.

Everyone is there for one purpose – to have a great time.

For the last few years, Fiesta has come full circle as it returned to its roots.

The event began with lots of local talent. Partially due to limited funds, Fiesta gave area groups a way to show off their stuff.

As it evolved, groups were invited from as far away as California. That made for entertaining shows, but it didn’t seem get the reception it deserved.

Now, we can again here local and area bands perform. It means we can see friends and relatives on the stage singing and playing their hearts out to the crowd.

There are still some big name bands, such as Domador de la Sierra, from Seattle, but they could still be considered local because they are from our state.

Fiesta also grew into a two-day event, with bands playing on Friday evening, as well as the traditional Saturday line-up.

And there are always fun activities for the kids, making this a family event.

To top it off, vendors feature a variety of American and Mexican foods to tempt every palate.

In honor of this great musical event right here in Othello, I’m sharing this fun recipe I’m sure you’ll all enjoy. It’s sort of like our event … an American tradition (Kraft macaroni and cheese) jazzed up with a Mexican flare!

Fiesta Mac

1 (14-ounce) package Kraft Deluxe Macaroni and Cheese Dinner

1 pound lean ground beef

1 large green pepper, chopped

1 (10-ounce) package frozen corn, thawed

1 cup Taco Bell Home Originals Salsa

Prepare dinner in large saucepan as directed on package, cooking macaroni for just 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, brown meat with green pepper in skillet; drain.

Add meat mixture, corn and salsa to prepared dinner; mix well. Cook until heated through, stirring occasionally.

Yield: 4 servings

Remember, I would love to have your recipes to share with readers. You can send them to me at labordi at hotmail.com.

Please include a few words about the recipe, where you got it, etc.

Hungry: A Mother and Daughter Fight Anorexia

By Sheila and Lisa Himmel

From the back of the book:

“As a writer, Sheila Himmel used to love irony. It made for the best stories. But Sheila found it harder to appreciate when she was reviewing exotic cuisines from bistro to brasserie, while her daughter, Lisa, was at home starving herself.”

Not only does this book provide a wonderfully candid memoir by a mother and daughter team, it also teaches the reader the intricacies of eating disorders – from the different forms to the emotions that play into them to the help (or lack of) available to families.

I truly enjoyed reading this touching book written by these women. I felt so sad for Lisa as she struggled with her emotional issues and eating disorder. As a mother myself, I wanted so badly to be able to give her a big hug and let her know there are people who do care about her.

Eating disorders are often misunderstood. There are definite reasons why people choose to starve themselves and they can’t be fixed by telling them to just eat something. These disorders are very complex and, like an addiction, become something the person may struggle with the rest of his or her life.

As I read this book, I recognized a couple people I know who may fall into one of the categories. I hope I’m wrong, but I will definitely be keeping an eye on them and be ready to intervene with emotional support should that become necessary.

Now, for those of you who live here in the Pacific Northwest or are planning to visit soon, Sheila and Lisa will be at Elliot Bay in Seattle, Washington, on Wednesday, September 23, at 5:30 p.m. If you are able to attend, please stop by and say hello to them!