Monday Morning Madness

hearts, originally uploaded by The Rambling Rountrees.

Once again the weekend has came and gone. It is now Monday once again. I have been uninspired to say the least to blog recently. I think it started with the post travel blues, that always happens when I return from life in Italy. I think also the continuous stress since my mom suffered her stroke last fall has found it’s way into my soul. I have been staying with her for ten months now and each day brings new challenges into our lives. I believed that my mom would be strong and healthy forever and now at the age of 75 things came to a new level. Strokes are often difficult to understand, and even today when she has an off day, I wonder if it is another stroke. Her cognition is not functioning properly as is with her throat and swallowing difficulties continue. Some folks tell me that the results of strokes can last a lifetime or at least a year. So each day brings new challenges. I’m not sure that these challenges will ever resolve, but in the meantime I am fortunate that I still have this great woman in my life.

Read Full Post »

Thanksgiving memories…

November is half over and Thanksgiving is Thursday. A time to be thankful for what we have. It is about family, friends and ones dear to the heart. In my younger years the day was filled with wonderful memories of family coming to our home to enjoy a magnificent feast with my Grandmum, and the rest of my meager family. We did not have that much, but we had each other. Life was happy and without such complications as today.

My mother and grandmum would cook for days before. Warm scents filled the kitchen. Aromas of pumpkin pies, warm bread and other goodies filled the house for days before the big feast. They worked seamlessly to prepare the food for the big event. Family was family, and we stood by each other through thick and thin.

The day before Thanksgiving was also special for my brother and I as we would be let out of school at noon that day. We always had plenty of snow for Thanksgiving, and we would leave for the big sandy hill up the street from our house to go sliding in the snow. We would stay till the last light filled the sky, as the sun set behind us. Then return home cold and wet from our afternoon of activities. That night we would dream of the feast the next day. We would often go to a market across town to purchase an ice cream pie for our dessert as well all the other delights we had in our home.

Thanksgiving morning we all rise early and run for to turn on the TV for the Thanksgiving Day Parades. We sat in front of the the TV and dreamed of being in New York City of the big Macy’s Parade. Time would seem to last forever as we waited anxiously for the feast that was being prepared. Soon aunts and uncles started to arrive, the house filled with laughter. Food was finished and prepared for the table, then we all come running for the feast.

The counter tops and table were filled with dishes reminiscent of the first feast. Roasted turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, fresh baked bread, squash, turnips, and cranberries. Then we indulged in assorted desserts of pumpkin pie, chocolate cream pie, ice cream pie, apple pies and other surprises. After we stuffed ourselves we would retire to the living room to watch some TV and begin the official start of the Holiday Season. A truly magical time! I wish I could go back to that time of innocence, a time when our family was close and all was right in the world.

Read Full Post »

A slower life…

Thanksgiving is right around the corner. A time to give thanks for what we have and what we don’t have. Life has become exceedingly complicated. I desire to go back to a time when life was slower, a time when work involved harvesting the land, growing crops, raising animals. If I had my druthers I’d be living in a cabin in the woods. A secret place where only the forest animals knew my name. My husband and I would only grow and consume what we need to live on. Life would be about working to live, instead of living to work.

In this world everyone craves bigger and better. I must admit, I am a consumer and I do like to shop, but wouldn’t it be easier to only have what one needs to survive? A roof over your head, dinner on the table after a day of work, a warm bed to sleep in and sharing your life with the one you love. Sounds like a fine life to me! A life less complicated but filled with only the things you need. Here is a recipe for my favorite Maple Pumpkin Cheesecake I often bake for Thanksgiving Dinner.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 (14 ounce) can EAGLE BRAND Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated milk)
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Maple Pecan Glaze:
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• whipped cream (optional)
• pecan halves (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter; press firmly on bottom of 9-inch springform pan.
3. With mixer, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in EAGLE BRAND until smooth. Add pumpkin, eggs, syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt; mix well. Pour into prepared pan.
4. Bake 1 1/4 hours or until center appears nearly set when shaken. Cool 1 hour. Cover and chill at least 4 hours.
5. To serve, spoon some Maple Pecan Sauce over cheesecake. Garnish with whipped cream and pecans (optional). Pass remaining sauce. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator.
6. Maple Pecan Glaze: In medium-sized saucepan, combine 1 cup (1/2 pint) whipping cream and 3/4 cup pure maple syrup; bring to a boil. Boil rapidly 15 to 20 minutes or until slightly thickened; stir occasionally. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped pecans. Cover and chill until served. Stir before serving.

Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Message of the Day

Originally uploaded by The Rambling Rountrees

Today’s Message of the Day is:

Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly, Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably, And never regret anything that made you smile.

Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we’re here we should
dance….

Read Full Post »

The Way We Were

Christmas photo circa 1965

Memories,
Like the corners of my mind
Misty water-colored memories
Of the way we were
Scattered pictures,
Of the smiles we left behind
Smiles we gave to one another
For the way we were
Can it be that it was all so simple then?
Or has time re-written every line?
If we had the chance to do it all again
Tell me, would we? could we?
Memories, may be beautiful and yet
Whats too painful to remember
We simply choose to forget
So its the laughter
We will remember
Whenever we remember…
The way we were…
The way we were… Barbara Streisand

Christmas 1965 seemed like a lifetime ago. A relative recently gave me this photo that my mom and dad had sent out as a Christmas card in 1965. A great memory indeed. I remember the day this photo was taken, sitting in the chair together…both my brothers and me. Where were you in 1965?

On another note: HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my nephew Mark today who is now 17…woohoo!

Read Full Post »

Trip to Kentucky…..foiled because of a broken pelvis!

I was supposed to leave for Kentucky today to see my family, but it is not going to happen. Late Wednesday evening my mother fell on the ground outside her house raking leaves and broke her pelvis.  She is bed-ridden for the next 6-8 weeks, and I am her nurse til further notice.  Which means…..I am cranky as hell….I need to find some good books to read.

.

Read Full Post »

The world in a different perspective…

A Cow’s Tail

Originally uploaded by The Rambling Rountrees
Well Monday is once again upon me. I’ll be headed home to Kentucky on Friday to visit my hubby, Christina and Liam, my grandson. It is funny how time flies like the changing of the seasons. I haven’t seen my dear husband since August, so I miss him dearly. Ohhh, the strange life we live.
I have also been up to making a major life decision, and for those that know me, I have a tough time making decisions. I have encountered many life changes in the past including deaths in my family, a divorce, and many other of life’s usual curve balls, but this time it is different. In fact I have only told a few friends about this venture (not adventure) I have been exploring. I am a travel/foodie guru. So food is a major part of my life….most of the time in a good way. But food is also a challenge for me…well not me I should say, but my weight. Due to some complications of my weight I have decided to undergo the initial process of pursuing weight loss surgery (WLS). This is very difficult for me, as I beat myself up and sometime feel like a failure when it comes to losing weight and keeping it off. The problem is, if I don’t do this now, then I am looking at long term health problems in the future, and after all I am an avid traveler and I don’t want anything to stand in the way of our travels!!! However, this will change my life significantly. Very few of my family and friends are aware of my decision yet. So now goes the daunting task of explaining my decision and the procedure to those that care about me. I hope no one chokes while reading this!

Perhaps I will refer to this venture as my “re organization” of my insides, as I start to shed my “Fat Suit”…… *wink*

PS: Stay tuned for more (or less) over the next few months!

Read Full Post »

Directions

Originally uploaded by The Rambling Rountrees
Sometimes in life you come to a crossroad and need to make a choice. For me that is often difficult, but now is the time for me to make a major life-altering decision in my life. A decision that will alter life as I know it, forever. I have thought about this for many months and today is the first step to begin this journey. I believe it is the right thing for me to do. It will not be easy at times, but I have emotionally prepared myself for the changes to come…..stay tuned, as I may need your support! My friends and family will be updated with my decision, as soon as I have set my new course. Isn’t life weird sometimes?

Read Full Post »

Fall Reflections…

Originally uploaded by The Rambling Rountrees
Well summer is almost gone and Autumn is here. The smell of the trees and grass, apples, pumpkins and other fall delights are in the air. The seasons change so do our moods. Fall is a time of refection. I time to reflect on what the summer’s bounties have brought us. This summer was a bizarre one indeed. Bizarre in the fact that many unusual things happened. Fall is usually my favorite time of year. Favorite because the summer sun is gone but ,Winter’s sharp edge has not hit us yet. The sun is lower in the sky, last night was the first full moon of the fall, making it the “Harvest Moon” ans also a holiday for the Chinese culture.

The Chinese full moon. The Chinese Moon Festival is on the 15th of the 8th lunar month. It’s also known as the Mid-autumn Festival. Chinese culture is deeply imbedded in traditional festivals. Just like Christmas and Thanksgiving in the West, the Moon Festival is one of the most important traditional events for the Chinese.

The Moon Festival is full of legendary stories. Legend says that Chang Er flew to the moon, where she has lived ever since. You might see her dancing on the moon during the Moon Festival. The Moon Festival is also an occasion for family reunions. When the full moon rises, families get together to watch the full moon, eat moon cakes, and sing moon poems. With the full moon, the legend, the family and the poems, you can’t help thinking that this is really a perfect world. That is why the Chinese are so fond of the Moon Festival.

The Moon Festival is also a romantic one. A perfect night for the festival is if it is a quiet night without a silk of cloud and with a little mild breeze from the sea. Lovers spend such a romantic night together tasting the delicious moon cake with some wine while watching the full moon. Even for a couple who can’t be together, they can still enjoy the night by watching the moon at the same time so it seems that they are together at that hour. A great number of poetry has been devoted to this romantic festival.

The moon cake is the food for the Moon Festival. The Chinese eat the moon cake at night with the full moon in the sky. Here is a picture of the typical moon cake.

Read Full Post »