Another Super Book!

When I think about the sound of coffee percolating, I remember the constant “kerplop, kerplop” of the ever busy coffee pot.  The “kerplop” sound was almost like a drumbeat saying “wake up”, “come to the kitchen”…the sound could be heard all day long. My parents drank coffee all day long…I do not like coffee at all! My husband’s parents drank coffee all day long…he does not drink coffee at all! Go figure! Maybe we just got tired of the percolating “kerplop” sound!

Percolating coffee is still the norm at local cafes and diners. Even for a non coffee drinker, the smell and sound of coffee brewing is comforting. I suppose coffee at a small local café takes me back to a simpler time. Believe it or not…there was a time not so long ago when Starbucks were not on every corner! Besides, cafes and diners also have grilled cheese sandwiches and usually lots of good conversation!

When thinking about a small café or a diner, I can’t help but remember one of my favorite children’s books…

In the Diner

Written by Christine Loomis

Illustrated by Nancy Poydar

In the Diner is a fun book to read to young children since there are continuous two word phrases. Throughout the book, each two word phrase rhymes with the next two word phrase. With the distinct phrasing, the flow of the book is swift and exciting.

Bright and interesting illustrations accompany the words. The multicultural diner is filled with talkative people from the hungry diners to the busy servers to the even more busy cooks. Joe’s Diner is clearly a special place! During the last school year, I ordered a copy of In the Diner with a CD…the sounds inside the diner were amazing! The children asked me to always keep the book in our Listening Center!

Editorial Review of In the Diner

From School Library Journal:

A day at the diner is delightfully presented with rhyming text and colorful illustrations. Hungry patrons and playful children enjoy the friendly atmosphere as cooks prepare burger and ice cream sundaes and waiters serve their satisfied looking clientele. The crowd includes many ethnic groups; male and female diners and workers; as well as a visually disabled man with a guide dog. Although beginning readers would enjoy exploring this book on their own, it is especially suited to reading aloud because of the catchy, short text and clear, lively pictures.

Mary Rinato Berman, New York Public Library

HAPPY READING!!

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/percolate/

Sometimes you just have to change your image a bit…like wearing more bright colors or maybe becoming blonde. Oh wait…I am sort of blonde or at least I once was blonde. And I most always wear bright colors. Maybe I might want to wear outlandishly high heels. Forget that…I like to walk upright. Maybe I just needed a change for my blog for just no real reason at all. Or maybe I just wanted my blog to look slightly more grownup.

After all, I am not teaching kindergarten anymore…even though my heart is still with the children. How I loved those children! So fun! So talkative! So bright! However, I am moving on to LIFE AFTER KINDERGARTEN! I am really finding that life is very fun in the real world away from teaching school! I can still go back and visit, but now I can go shopping when I want to go shopping! I can have lunch at a regular time instead of at 10:35! Perhaps, I can even cook dinner for my husband. Well…I am not sure about that for every single day…let me just say that we certainly enjoy going out to dinner!

So that is it…I changed the look of my blog and I am surprised that it worked. I thought sure that it would take all night and that I would have to ask the very helpful Happiness Engineers for continuous help. As it turned out, I just drove one of them crazy for about twenty minutes!  A miracle! And I do believe in miracles!!

Thank you for reading my rambling words! I do appreciate all of you from around the world! Please visit often!!

Baked Fudge

 My mother made some of the very best desserts ever…cookies, cakes, pies, and TARTS.  All of my parent’s neighbors were aware when something special was about to appear from the oven. It was uncanny how quickly their neighbors would show up and wait at the breakfast room table…waiting for a cup of coffee and a wonderfully sweet treat.

Even after I finished college and began working, I could expect to come home to a table filled with my parent’s neighbors. When my future husband first visited my parent’s house, he also met their neighbors. Honestly, they were part of the family…Bee, Edwin, Dorothy, Bettye and on and on.

And we can’t forget my aunts…Aunt Lois, Aunt Doris, Aunt Ethel (when she was in town), Aunt Eva, and Aunt Beth. They were all very talkative and fun and perhaps a bit opinionated (in a good way!). My future husband had way more people to impress than just my parents. He liked to talk and sit around the table laughing with lots of friends…especially when a great tasting dessert made with chocolate was being served! We are the same way with friends today when we visit our farm or when we get together with friends in Dallas/Fort Worth.

Maybe it is something about a chocolate dessert that makes everyone a bit happier…or maybe it is any sweet dessert. Or maybe it is just the camaraderie with long time friends who know all of your crazy habits and like you anyway! Somehow, I think desserts might play an important part in some families…like mine!

One of my favorite desserts that my mother made was…

Baked Fudge

Unbelievably delicious! No kidding! I could never find where the recipe was written down, but I found an old newspaper clipping with a Baked Fudge recipe. I made it and…YEA!…it tasted just like my mother’s own Baked Fudge!  The recipe was from a now closed restaurant named “Tale of the Trout” in Roger, Arkansas. My mother must have had a similar recipe long before the restaurant opened in 1977. I have no idea where my mother got the original recipe!

Baked Fudge has a very custard-like consistency…sort of like a hot pudding. My mother always called this dessert a CRUSTLESS TART. I always thought that tarts included fruit, but I now realize that there are also chocolate tarts. The following is the very good recipe for Baked Fudge…

Tale of the Trout Baked Fudge

Ingredients:

4 eggs

2 cups of sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup cocoa

1 cup butter

1 cup chopped nuts (my mother used pecans)

2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions:

Add sifted dry ingredients to well-beaten eggs. Add butter (melted), vanilla, and nuts. Pour into a 8x10x2-inch pan. Place pan in a larger pan filled with a hot (boiling) water bath. Add enough boiling water to the larger pan to come halfway up the sides of the smaller pan. Bake at 300 degrees for 45-55 minutes or until firm like a baked custard. Cool, serve with whipped cream. Serves 8 to ten. The fudge will be crusty on top.

ENJOY!!

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/tart/

Chapel at Top of the Rock…Big Cedar Lodge…Ridgedale, Missouri

The magnitude of nature in Ridgedale, Missouri surprises me even more on each visit to Big Cedar Lodge, located on Table Rock Lake. Big Cedar has become one of our favorite vacation places. Peacefulness and tranquility mixed with an abundance of fun activities are the most obvious and important components. On second thought, the sheer surrounding beauty of the Ozark Mountains is an added near perfect bonus.

A waterfall at Dogwood Canyon Nature Park.

We just returned from yet another trip to Big Cedar. We cannot seem to stay away! Our very close friends met us in Missouri and we packed every activity possible into each day. We visited the Dogwood Canyon Nature Park and rode a tram through the park on winding roads that were punctuated by waterfalls, springs bubbling from the ground,  and creeks overflowing with trout. Happy people were in abundance…walking/jogging, riding on bicycles, and attempting to ride on segways! In this contentious election time, hearing the laughter of friends and the laughter of even those unknown to us was a very welcome respite! We needed this special time!

A bridge on the golf cart cave tour at Top of the Rock, Big Cedar Lodge.

Big Cedar Lodge is filled with small details…as portrayed in the following short video:

Yes…we had a wonderful time with friends. How can we measure the worth of a friendship? Perhaps…by many years of spending Thanksgiving together…by watching our children grow up, go to college, begin careers, begin families…by an abundance of shared memories through difficult times of loss and incredibly joyful times of simple moments…by knowing that we will be there for each other and our combined families. During our times with friends last week and last year, we realized one of the most essential parts of life…we must take the time to be together and see the beauty of our surroundings.

The beginning of fall colors at Big Cedar Lodge.

Big Cedar Lodge happens to be one of our places to find joy and appreciation for nature and for friends. I imagine and I sincerely hope that you have such a place. It could be as near as your backyard or seven hours away… no matter…the first step is to figure out where to find such tranquility. After all…we all need more peace and laughter in our lives.

The beauty of the Ozark Mountains of Missouri.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/second-thoughts/

Setting goals is imperative and difficult at the same time. However, following through on these goals is the real challenge. The above quote is so incredibly correct. Before you can reach your final goal, you inevitably will need to get your priorities in order. Change your basic priorities. Rearrange your priorities and your life in general. Actually, there is rarely any other way to go about consideration of priorities without some major change.

In March 2013, Forbes recommended the following steps that most likely will help with goal setting:

1. LOOK AT IT!

For visual learners (like myself…for sure!), a goal that you actually see is immensely important. The author suggested making a “vision board” for your personal motivation. Purchase a simple poster board and cut out pictures and articles that are related to your goal. Goals that might be displayed are organizing your home, an advanced degree, weight loss, preparing more healthy meals, taking a special vacation, or receiving a much better salary. Display the board for you to see every, single day.

2. TELL PEOPLE ABOUT IT!

By announcing your goal and your need to rearrange your priorities, you are attaching a verbal message to your future change. As you move closer to your goal, your friends will hopefully offer congratulations and support. No matter what your friends say or don’t say, you have told the immediate world what you plan to do. You took a chance and put yourself in a vulnerable position. You certainly don’t want to be caught moving back from your goals!

3. BREAK YOUR GOALS INTO SMALL PARTS!Rearrange your goals into shorter, smaller sections. Don’t say…”I’m going to lose at least 50 pounds in two months!” or you might be set up for real and instant disappointment. Instead say “I’m planning to lose at least ????? pounds this month” and you fill in the appropriate and reasonable amount. Celebrate even the smallest accomplishment. Share your celebration! Make your goals possible and feasible.

4. SET A DATE TO TOTALLY BE ON THE WAY TO COMPLETING YOUR GOAL!

Again, make a visible announcement to yourself. Put your final goal date on a calendar. Announce your date to your immediate world. Make it reasonable…just like in #3. It is best to have an exact date to be thinking about. Such as…”My class reunion is in May! Help”…   my class reunion IS in May. I better put the calendar up immediately!

Change!

Rearrange!

Prioritize!

Set Goals!

Remember…my class reunion is in May!

I am telling the immediate world NOW!

I need to wear a size 8! Oh! I forgot! I

need to make a reasonable, sensible goal!

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/rearrange/

My Mother’s Delicious Pralines!

I always thought that my mother was the best cook ever and her friends and my aunts were close contenders for the top spot. I honestly did not know any of her very best recipes at all. I am certain that she tried to teach me to cook, but I doubt that I stood still long enough to listen. You know…places to go and people to see. And then…I lost my mother when I was 35 and my dad six weeks later.

After I recovered from the shock…well sort of recovered, I realized that I desperately wanted those recipes. Looking through every drawer and every cookbook and every other place at their house, I found recipes written down on pads of paper from various businesses, bridge score cards, index cards, pretty note paper…you name it…there was a recipe on it. I also found a huge amount of cut-out recipes from magazines and newspapers. I was thrilled that some of her favorite recipes were included in my discoveries!

I never saw her look at any recipe when she was cooking. She had everything memorized or just figured it out while she was cooking. You know the method…”Let’s see! How about a cup or so of sugar. Maybe a little salt”. I cook like that now, but everything doesn’t always turn out to be perfection. I often look up recipes on my cell phone as I walk around the grocery store or on my iPad in my own kitchen. I tend to run into quite a few people! And I still buy cookbooks even though I am overloaded with them.

Fortunately, I have all of my mother’s cookbooks. In order to keep the scraps of paper recipes, I bought two really  large photo albums a long time ago. I placed each recipe  into a picture slot. I included all of the newspaper and magazine cut-outs. With two small children at the time, it took me days and days to organize those books. Now, it is so much fun to look through the books ever so often. I like to think that our daughter will feel the same about these recipe books…a special gift from me, but really from her grandmother.

A Favorite Recipe From My Mother…

TEXAS PRALINES 

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon butter flavoring

2 cups chopped pecans

1 tablespoon butter

Directions:

Mix soda and buttermilk and then dissolve sugar in the mixture. Use a large saucepan and boil slowly to soft ball stage (234 degrees or 236 degrees if the weather is damp). Mixture turns brown as it cooks, but needs stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add flavors, butter, and pecans. Stir until it begins to look like it is very smooth. Drop in small “cakes” on wax paper. Makes about 30 pralines. ***I don’t know why the recipe says “cakes”! Just drop them on the wax paper about the size of a regular size chocolate chip cookie!!***

I promised to give this Praline recipe to “The Chicken Grandma” on WordPress a few weeks ago! She had to be very patient!

Enjoy!

Big Brother Big Sisters is a volunteer based organization built on placing caring adults as mentors to children who have faced adverse circumstance in their lives. As their website (bbbs.org) states:

“For more than 100 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters has operated under the belief that inherent in every child is the ability to succeed and thrive in life. As the nation’s largest donor and volunteer supported mentoring network, Big Brother Big Sisters makes meaningful, monitored matches between adult volunteers (Bigs) and children (Littles), ages 6 through 18, in communities across the country. We develop positive relationships that have a direct and lasting effect on the lives of young people.”

Key components of Big Brothers Big Sisters center around the well-being and future functionality of the child. This program can be the beginning of a very bright future for a child whose life has not been impacted by positivity. As a teacher in Title I (economically disadvantaged) schools, I was absolutely overjoyed when a child became a part of Big Brothers Big Sisters! Beyond a shadow of a doubt, I knew that the child would:

1. Change for the better in ways I could only imagine

2. Care more seriously about the world around him/her

3. Be able to focus more often on school and friendships

4. Achieve a happy and confident demeanor

The following is a short video of one person’s wonderful experience being a part of the Big Brothers Big Sisters program:

Having observed the program success,

I was beyond thrilled when our daughter

decided to join Big Brothers Big Sisters as  a

mentor to a deserving eight year old boy.

Our daughter and her husband recently took Colby to his first hibachi restaurant!

Colby became our daughter’s “Little Brother” when he was 8 years old and in the 2nd grade. He is now a well behaved and polite 14 year old in the 8th grade. Our daughter had been out of college for a few years and was teaching elementary school. She became very aware of the needs of the students at her school and soon signed up for the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. Colby was not at her school, but she quickly became involved with mentoring him.

My husband and I have been so honored to be a part of Colby’s growing up years. The strides he has made are amazing. No longer the busy and overly talkative 8 year old, he is now quiet spoken, still spirited, yet so proud of his achievements. At a family dinner a few weeks ago, he entertained our daughter’s little cousins with ease. Colby talked about sports and the musical instrument he is learning to play. He talks about possible future plans with confidence. Colby has become a promising teenager with personal goals and aspirations.

Colby is confident and self-assured because of Big Brothers Big Sisters and our daughter’s willingness to volunteer.

Congratulations, Colby!

You’ve come a long way!

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/volunteer/

Underground Rock Home

When we first moved to the suburbs, our new neighbors mentioned a group of underground houses located in our town. The houses were hidden in a very wooded area that was accessed by a small barely paved road. We found the houses and were amazed by the unusual appearance of the neighborhood.

We saw what looked like roofs covered with green grass. There were entrances that were visible above ground. Several years later, I met one of the underground home owners and discovered that usually there was a small entry with immediate stairs leading to the living area. The house I visited was light, bright, open, and very inviting. Beyond that, the house was cool in the summer and warm in the winter. We considered the concept to be quite interesting.

I have not heard much about underground houses in the last few years or perhaps I have not been reading the right publications. Currently, these houses are often referred to as “Earth Sheltered Homes”. The word shelter is the key word. Shelter: defined as a dwelling place or home considered as a refuge from the elements. Educational studies have stated that shelter is a basic need.

Psychologist Abraham Maslow wrote a paper in 1943 titled “A Theory of Human Motivation”. According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, physiological needs were the most fundamental and necessary. These needs include food, clothing, and shelter from the elements. With this researched information in mind, earth sheltered homes become much more than an unusual home. They become a possibly better option for our environment in regards to safety, energy, wildlife preservation as well as a means to provide a subdued place to reside.

According to niftyhomestead.com, earth sheltered homes “use the ground as an insulating blanket which effectively protects it from temperature extremes including wind, rain, and extreme weather events.” Nifty Homestead includes on their website a tour of an 1900 square foot earth sheltered home built by architect Alan Shope. The following video features a tour of this earth sheltered house in Upstate New York.

The website granitehistory.org/underground-houses/ lists seven possibly surprising facts about these underground houses or earth sheltered houses. The seventh fact states that underground houses could possibly be one of the most comfortable places to live. The website goes further and states that underground houses might be the most comfortable living space. Although usually costly to build, underground homes heat and cool with ease. These earth sheltered homes can provide safety in emergencies as well as other weather/natural disasters.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/underground/