As Promised

 Here are the soup photos to go with my last post.

ALBONDIGAS SOUP

If you like cilantro, you'll love this soup. If

you don't like cilantro, be sure to omit it or

you'll hate this soup.

Meatballs

1/2 lb ground beef, 87% or leaner

1/2 lb chorizo

1 egg

1/4 cup milk

1 cup soft bread crumbs

 

Soup

1 cup diced celery

1/3 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

1 cup finely chopped onions

3/4 cup sliced carrots

1 28-oz can diced tomatoes

3 cups beef broth

1 Tbs sugar

2 cups cubed zucchini

1 cup frozen corn

 

Combine ingredients for meatballs and form 30-32 balls. Refrigerate.

 

Combine all soup ingredients except zucchini in a large soup pot.

 

Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.

 

Add meatballs, cover, and simmer another 15 minutes.

 

Add corn and zucchini and simmer 10-15 minutes. Taste, add salt and pepper if needed.

CREAMY TORTELLINI SOUP 

1 Tbs oil
1/2 lb ground beef, 87% or leaner
1/2 lb mild Italian sausage, bulk or casings removed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 tsp salt
2 Tbs flour
1 qt (4 cups) chicken stock
1 8-oz tomato sauce
1 9-oz refrigerated cheese tortellini
1/3 cup cream
Salt and pepper
Fresh baby spinach
 
Heat oil in a large soup pot.
 
Cook beef and sausage, crumbling as it cooks. Drain excess grease.
 
Add garlic, onion, and salt. Cook and stir until onions soften.
 
Stir in flour, cook and stir one minute.
 
Stir in chicken stock and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until slightly thickened. Stir often.
 
Stir in tortellini, cover and cook until tender, 5-7 minutes.
 
Add cream and heat through. Add salt and pepper, if needed.
 
Finely julienne spinach. Put in serving bowl and add hot soup.

I won't post this weekend, but I'll be back soon.

Thank you for sharing my life.

Failed

Thoughts and Quotes:  I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving.

                                                        Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

Whew! Thank you, Mr. Holmes, because I'm a major failure when it comes to my Challenge 2, but the yard is looking better and better.

One bathroom drawer or shelf

One linen shelf

One kitchen drawer

My hidden object drawer.

Now I have to deal with the things I took out of the drawer.

 

Try one kitchen gadget (I have a bazillion I've never used); keep or discard. 

Watch two videos

My second video.

Watcht two DVD's

Watch two DVR's

Transfer one record set to computer and/or permanent storage

Listen to three CD's

Listen to three tapes.

Read one book

I finished the Truman book, and highly recommend it.

Try three new recipes

ALBONDIGAS SOUP

Meatballs

1/2 lb ground beef, 87% or leaner

1/2 lb chorizo

1 egg

1/4 cup milk

1 cup soft bread crumbs

Soup

1 cup diced celery

1/3 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

1 cup finely chopped onions

3/4 cup sliced carrots

1 28-oz can diced tomatoes

3 cups beef broth

1 Tbs sugar

2 cups cubed zucchini

1 cup frozen corn

 

Combine ingredients for meatballs and form 30-32 balls. Refrigerate. 

Combine all soup ingredients except zucchini in a large soup pot. 

Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. 

Add meatballs, cover, and simmer another 15 minutes. 

Add corn and zucchini and simmer 10-15 minutes. Taste, add salt and pepper if needed.

Photo later

CREAMY TORTELLINI SOUP

1 Tbs oil

1/2 lb ground beef, 87% or leaner

1/2 lb mild Italian sausage, bulk or casings removed

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 tsp salt

2 Tbs flour

1 qt (4 cups) chicken stock

1 8-oz tomato sauce

1 9-oz refrigerated cheese tortellini

1/3 cup cream

Salt and pepper

Fresh baby spinach

 

Heat oil in a large soup pot. 

Cook beef and sausage, crumbling as it cooks. Drain excess grease. 

Add garlic, onion, and salt. Cook and stir until onions soften. 

Stir in flour, cook and stir one minute. 

Stir in chicken stock and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until slightly thickened. Stir often. 

Stir in tortellini, cover and cook until tender, 5-7 minutes. 

Add cream and heat through. Add salt and pepper, if needed. 

Finely julienne spinach. Put in serving bowl and add hot soup.

 Photo later

Make measurable progress: crochet, cards etc., other I made two more hangers and finished the doily.

Organize one color of clothes; hem or fix any which can't be worn yet. 

I finished Pink

Organize one recipe category in Pinterest I finished three more: Appetizers, Bars, Beef

Watch one hour of Todd Mohr YouTubes.

Work on unfinished travel journals. Working on it. Here's Day 2.

March 29, 2003

Due to last minute cancellations, our group was only 23 people, mostly from Canada, Great Britain, and USA. I called every day for a week before we left, because I wanted to be sure we were going to Hong Kong. SARS seemed to be increasing. I was assured that we definitely would end our tour there.

I was up at 2:30 a.m. reading. I made tea and ate my lemon cookie from the plane, catching up with the news on CNN, the only available news channel. 

Breakfast was at 6:00 a.m. The Renaissance must have a central food preparation point which ships all over the world. The hotel in Amsterdam caters to Chinese tourists and the breakfast buffet was almost identical. In addition to Western breakfast dishes, they served rice gruel, miso soup, sushi, pickled vegetables, fish in soy sauce, and salad. 

I opened my drapes and discovered a beautiful park about the size of two city square blocks, with lakes, flowers, and willow trees with branches drooping into the lakes. 

I walked over and found groups engaged in Tai Chi, some others with big yellow or red fans, some with swords (most with 2’ red silk tassels), and some couples ballroom dancing. Individuals were walking, jogging, doing stretching exercises, or just sitting on benches reading the paper. Some had their legs hoisted onto the rails around the lake pavilions like practicing ballerinas, and these people were not young. Exercise seems to be a part of the culture, which might indicate that their lack of body fat is not entirely due to diet.

I returned to the hotel for our day in Shanghai. First stop, the Children’s Palace, which is an expensive school for extracurricular activities. China’s one child policy enabled couples to concentrate on their little Emperor or Empress. 

They were learning computers to convert English alphabet to Chinese words, calligraphy, ballet, art, physical, and music (singing, 2-string folk violin, European violin, and a many-stringed Chinese instrument which rests on its back on a table while the player plucks the strings forward and backwards with picks attached to her fingers with bands (only females can play this instrument). 

We watched several classes in session, many with parents watching or assisting their children. We also saw an art gallery with paintings and scrolls created by the children. Our last stop was a large gift shop with everything artsy or souvenirish, and “all made by the children.” Sure. 

The Children’s Palace had lots of deferred maintenance. The building was constructed as a rich man’s mansion in 1930, later “converted” to state property. The former opulence was evident, but many hours of scrubbing, varnishing, repairing, painting, and patching were needed to bring the property to merely acceptable. 

Ceiling fans and window air conditioners were “stuck on” here and there without regard for electrical safety or esthetic value. The disregard for maintenance seemed to have been passed to the children, evidenced by the accumulated resin on the violins and the dust on the “zithers.” 

Lots more photos HERE.

Off to the waterfront called The Bund. We were on the European side with ornate buildings from the 19^th century Colonial period. Across the Huang River was the familiar skyline of modern skyscrapers. The area was clean and modern with lovely landscaping. More photos Here.  

In the center is the entrance to the subway.

Then off to a lovely Chinese restaurant where we had lunch at round tables served family style from lazy susans. 

Our afternoon tour was the Yuyuan Gardens. We walked through a market area, and as it was Saturday, I experienced firsthand the Chinese hordes. To reach the gardens, we crossed a zig-zag bridge over a dirty koi pond. The gardens are inside stone walls with lots of water, sculpture, and terra cotta carvings. One room in one building was furnished so that we could see how the rich people lived before the Revolution. Again, lots of deferred maintenance. I’m sure things have been cleaned up by now. More photos Here.

We returned to the hotel for a Swiss-German buffet and then off to see an acrobatic show at Carlton’s Auditorium. The performers were unbelievable; expert jugglers and magicians, acrobats so limber they could fold themselves in half and perform tumbling stunts like Olympics medal winners. No photos allowed. Guess some didn’t get the message. Click Here. 

By the time we reached the hotel, it was after 10:00 p.m., and I went to bed exhausted, but then up at 2:30 a.m., ready to go.

To be continued . . . . .  

Organize one of my many, many notebooks. Working on it.

This and That: My little huntress.

This is what she does to spiders, then she leaves them for me to handle. She doesn't eat them; only moths and flies are edible. Oh, and crickets, except for the legs.

And all this work exhausts her. Time for a sunbath with her bird.

And there's a new critter, as if squirrels, skunks, possums, and raccoons weren't enough. Mr. Grounhog was walking across the back when I spotted him. By the time I got the camera, he was sitting on the raised bed, checking out a big zinnia. He doesn't have a long tail; that's a shadow from the white pipe. I took the photos with zoom, so it's not very clear.

As most of you know, my son had a really bad heart condition. He made his sudden transition around midnight Sunday night. I'm still trying to come to terms with the reality of this finality. Also, as most of you know, I approach life in ways which may seem outside the norm. Please do not send cards or emails. Please don't call to console me. In college, I wrote a paper on how to deal with emotional difficulties. My paper was titled "Get Busy," and that's my answer and my plan. Since my son won't be here to help my daughter-in-law when it's my turn to leave, I must really concentrate on my goals so I can downsize and make her job easier.

My Son, The Fisherman

My Son, the hunter

My Son, the desert lover

My son, the rock hound

My Son, the clown

Wearing hats I brought from China

My Son, the traveler

My Son, the husband

My Son, My Baby, My Joy

Mike Peterson

1957-2021

HOLD YOUR LOVED ONES CLOSE

TELL THEM OFTEN THAT YOU LOVE THEM 

THANK YOU FOR SHARING MY LIFE

                                                                     

Update on Challenge 2

Thoughts and Quotes: In searching for an appropriate quote about goals, I ran across a great article. I'll share part of it with you or you can read the entire article HERE.

1. Never have a lack of goals.  

"If you’re bored with life – you don’t get up every morning with a burning desire to do things – you don’t have enough goals." –Lou Holtz

2. Vision is everything. 

"If you don’t know where you are going, you will probably end up somewhere else." –Lawrence J. Peter

3. Dream enormously big.

"Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars." –Les Brown

4. Persistence makes all the difference.

"Never quit. It is the easiest cop-out in the world. Set a goal and don’t quit until you attain it. When you do attain it, set another goal, and don’t quit until you reach it. Never quit." –Bear Bryant

5. Goals give our lives meaning. 

"The trouble with not having a goal is that you can spend your life running up and down the field and never score." –Bill Copeland

6. True success is all about working towards meaningful goals and dreams. 

"A goal is not always meant to be reached; it often serves simply as something to aim at." –Bruce Lee

7. Stop playing small. 

"The great danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark." –Michelangelo

8. Where are you headed? 

"If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time." –Zig Ziglar

9. Stay focused at all times.

"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal." –Henry Ford

10. It's never too late.

"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream." –C.S. Lewis

Of course, number 10 is my favorite. I truly believe that goals help you live longer, and I need to live a long time to accomplish mine. It could take years just to finish my decluttering, but I'm on it. I just made a Freudian slip and said recluttering. I hope that's not a sign of things to come. 

How are you doing with your decluttering. Here's an update of mine.

Challenge Two (time alloted two weeks): 

One bathroom drawer or shelf

I had one remaining drawer in my bedroom to put in scented drawer liner (nightstand), so that's finished. This is like going to confession. Now you know how messy I can be. Note my water in a bottle. After reading how many bugs we consume at night, I quit using a water glass.

I used the balance of the paper to line a bathroom drawer. Don't waste your money on scented paper; it doesn't retain the scent very long. It's pretty though.

One linen shelf

I should have done this years ago. I did put vinyl floor tile under all the sinks when I moved in, but I should have put it everywhere; such easy cleanup, and it's good forever.

If you're curious about the white disks, they're little wipes which expand when you add water. I carry some in my purse, and when I need a quick hand wipe, I use my straw from my glass of water in the restaurant or a little from my bottled water in the car. The larger ones make a small towel which can be reused.

One kitchen drawer 

I need a better way to cut tile before I do this.

Try one kitchen gadget (I have a bazillion I've never used); keep or discard. 

I tried it with Monterey Jack cheese, and it worked great. A bit of a pain to clean, but so is my other grater. I'll keep it.

Watch two videos, two DVD's, two DVR's, transfer one record set to computer and/or permanent storage, listen to three CD's and three tapes.

I watched the first one and part of the second, but didn't like it. Both discarded.

Read one book

I sometimes read fluff at night when I go to bed tired. I won't read anymore books by this author.

And I finished this. You'll like if you're a Foodie or a Francophile or both.

And now I'm reading this, and I hate when I have to put it down. I'm already giving it five stars, and I'm only 1/5 into it.

Try three new recipes

PINEAPPLE POKE CAKE

Batter

1 20-oz can crushed pineapple; drained and juice divided

1 Yellow cake mix

1 Small instant vanilla pudding mix

4 eggs

3/4 cup oil

2 tsps vanilla

 

Soaking Mix

1 Tbs melted butter

1 cup powdered sugar

Balance of pineapple juice

Powdered sugar for dusting, or glaze with 1/2 cup milk and 2 Tbs milk. 

Heat oven to 350°. 

Grease and flour a Bundt pan or spray with Baker’s Joy. 

Measure 3/4 cup of pineapple juice and mix that with all other batter ingredients except drained pineapple. Save the balance of the juice for the soaking mix. Beat 2 minutes. 

Fold in pineapple. 

Pour batter into pan and bake for 35-45 minutes. Test and adjust time. 

Mix soaking ingredients while cake bakes. Leave cake in pan, poke holes with a skewer, and pour all mix over hot cake. 

Leave cake in pan to cool for 40 minutes. Invert on plate and dust with powdered sugar or glaze, if desired. 

This makes a really moist cake. I won't glaze mine the next time I make it.

Make measurable progress: crochet, cards etc., other.

I finished two hangers and made a start with my peach thread.

Organize one color of clothes; hem or fix any which can't be worn yet.

Organize one recipe category in Pinterest

My Breakfast category is finished, sorted into: Breakfast Casseroles, Breakfast Pizzas, Breakfast Potatoes, Cereal, Coffee Cake, Collections, French Toast and Bread Pudding, Fruit, Mexican, Misc., Muffin Tin, Pancakes-Waffles-Crepes, Quiche, Smoothies, Sweet Rolls-Sweet Breads-Donuts. Muffins are stored under my Bread board and Jelly under my Snooty Pantry board.

Watch one hour of Chef Todd Mohr YouTubes.

I changed this from watch three, because I started at the beginning, and some are only a few minutes long. I watched the first seven (start at the end and work backwards). If you want to watch, Click Here. If you want to start from the oldest, you have to keep scrolling down - there are lots.

Work on unfinished travel journals.

I've only started. Much more to go.

Trip to China 3-27-2003/4-12-2003

March 27, 2003

Things have changed dramatically since my trip, but I have some nice photos.

Away we go! Flight one of nine on this trip. Nine flights, a hovercraft, two riverboats, a bus, and a rickshaw.  No wonder I came home tired. 

My airport shuttle driver was a little old man about my age. He was so cautious, I thought we might reach LAX after my flight was well on the way to San Francisco. He arrived to pick me up a half hour early, and I rushed through my departure, forgot my house slippers, vitamins, and Bill’s new address, and I hadn’t had my tea. He was happy to wait while I made my tea, which turned out to be a mistake, because one quick brake stop on the freeway, and I had tea down the front of my pink top. I cleaned it the best I could in the airport restroom, then ran around with a wet front for a half hour. I discovered that I would not make a good candidate for wet tee shirt contests. 

We arrived at the airport by 8:00 a.m. and my flight was 10:40 a.m. Oh, well. Welcome to the world of security. I had less than an hour between flights, so I decided I needed a breakfast sandwich from Burger King as I wouldn’t have lunch until 2:00 p.m. or so, and I’d been up since 5:45 a.m. 

While eating, I overheard an airport employee telling some passengers that her brother had been in the Panama conflict and Desert Storm. He came home unscathed, only to be killed in a car-jacking in Los Angeles. You just never know. 

I read a little at the airport and then had a half-hour nap after boarding. A quiet group, the plane is about two-thirds full. There were more airport security, United employees, and policemen at United Terminal 7 than there were passengers. All checked luggage went through the BIG x-ray machine and passengers were required to stay with their luggage until it was cleared. If film passes through this big baby, it’s ruined. Then another check to x-ray carryon luggage, purses, and shoes. All the security people were very helpful and very nice. I’m eager to compare our system to China’s. I couldn’t bring my rolling carryon, as it’s more than 8” deep due to the handle. According to the tour people, the Chinese are very strict, and only 44 lbs in your checked luggage – not the 70 lbs we’re used to. I weighed my bag and it was 45 lbs, but decided I could shed a pound by the time of my first Chinese flight, even if I had to put something in my carryon. 

Somewhere over the Pacific – we didn’t get lunch until 3:30 p.m. I was starving. I chose beef as I’ll probably see plenty of chicken in the days ahead. Slices of roast beef with a tiny bit of barbeque sauce, roasted potatoes with cheese, medley of black beans, corn, pinto beans, and red peppers, a whole wheat roll, Romaine with Ranch dressing, lemon cheesecake; Baby Bel cheese with crackers and grapes. All small portions, so I ate everything but the cheese and crackers. This trip was before I became a Foodie, and I’m so sorry I don’t have photos of the food.

I read, napped, made a run to the powder room and it was only 6:00 p.m. Our ETA was 2:30 a.m. my time. I was by the window, with a lady on the aisle who was with a group, so she ignored me (goody!), and we had an empty seat between us. Lucky me! So far I’d met a nice Cambodian couple from Boston who were on the tour, saw a Chinese couple with Collette bags, and two other Collette bags in the overheads. Coming from Diamond Bar in Los Angeles County, I figured that if I were the only haole with a busload of Asians, I’d feel right at home, as I heard more foreign languages at the supermarket than I did English; most of them Asian. 

An announcement was made that there were attendants on board who spoke Chinese and French, so if we saw anyone who looked as if they needed help communicating to please let someone know. My thought was that if my French friend Michelle were along, she’d pretend she only knew French so she’d have someone to share a conversation in their beautiful language. 

During the flight we crossed the International Date Line, so it became March 28. Our snack was a small bowl of Chinese noodles with pieces of dried bean curd, carrots, and green onions (you know, the kind where you pour in hot water and wait four minutes), a lemon cookie, and the world’s smallest apple. 

We had an excellent pilot. When we hit turbulent air, he immediately found another altitude. We had movies back to back, but I read and napped. When my watch said 1:25 a.m., it was still daylight. I like going west. We were due to arrive at 7:00 p.m. China time, so we could start off with a good night’s sleep. 

Then more food. Stuffed shells with marinara and cheese tortellini with Alfredo sauce, watermelon, honeydew, and grapes, orange juice, coffee, and Oreos. Not exactly gourmet. The outside temperature was showing -72°F, and we were warm and cozy. Isn’t modern technology wonderful? 

The Shanghai airport was new, beautiful, and spotlessly clean. The check-in was easy (even though we had visas as well as passports), organized, and signage in English so you’d be directed the minute you deplaned. The airport police had spiffy black uniforms with lots of silver embellishments. 

Our bus ride was almost an hour. We landed after dark, so we couldn’t see much until we were in the city. Our Collette guide was a red headed guy from Vancouver. Our Shanghai guide was Summer, a heavier than usual Chinese male who spoke King’s English. He was very proud of Shanghai. He said that some foreign journalists recently told him that 85% of all the high rise building cranes in existence were in Shanghai; lots more than Berlin when they moved the capital of Germany from Bonn. 

We had a beautiful Renaissance five-star hotel; but they gave me a room on the 12^th floor, right over the freeway. I asked if I could have a room away from the freeway, so they moved me to the 18^th floor over the same freeway. I didn’t mean further up, I meant further horizontally with a ninety-degree angle. I’d wasted time waiting for the bellboy, going to the lobby for another key, etc, so I just surrendered. I was so tired, I figured I’d probably just pass out. We had a seafood buffet waiting, but I decided I needed rest more than food, so I ate my mini-apple and jumped in the bathtub. I took time to wash my undies because I just had to use the retractable clothesline in the bathroom – the first one I’d seen. Finally in bed at 10:37 p.m. 

The view from my room. Not the best air quality in the world.

End of day 1.

Organize one of my many, many notebooks.

Looking back, this doesn't look like much for an entire week. Gotta step it up.

This and That: Friend Mim told me that she had her floor grout in her kitchen, dining area, and laundry professionally cleaned, and she was really happy with the results. My immediate reaction was, "I need that phone number."

He came and cleaned my kitchen and laundry in an hour. He has special cleaners and equipment. It would have taken me hours and hours and sore knees besides. I'll never clean grout again. And to celebrate, I put down new kitchen rugs, which are bright and cheery, and they were cheap besides. I got them at Walmart.

My health plan isn't working. When you live alone, you can eat what you want, and sometimes I just eat what's easy and available.

Breakfast (yes, breakfast): Corn on the cob, bacon and cherry plums. If you haven't tried cherry plums, you need to. I got them at Walmart.

Lunch: Still playing with my new air fryer, so frozen taquitos and mozzarella sticks from Walmart. I'm getting good at this.

Dinner: Oatmeal, cottage cheese, apples, blueberries, and walnuts.

My highlights for the week.

A very sweet thank you note from Niece Terri for her birthday trip to the casinos.

Niece Leslie loves tea, so each day I email her a "Tea Talk" from this book.

Here's the reply I received one day.

Every time I sip a cup,

I feel my soul renew,

I close my eyes,

 my lips they smile,

and I always think of you. 

             

Author,

 Leslie Stone 

 Written for Aunt Patsy 

I love you so much my heart is full to bursting,

Les. 

How sweet is that?

And my treat for today was when Mike came to help me. I call him My Staff. He's up for anything, and can do anything. Today he spread fertilizer and weed preventer over my entire yard, pulled weeds, put my barbecue together, pulled out the refrigerator, swept and mopped the floor underneath, and installed my new water filter. We went to Walmart to buy mulch, but it's all gone. We picked up a few things, then I said, "Let's just finish my shopping while we're out, because the a/c guy is coming for my annual service tomorrow." We went to Aldi and Harter House and finished in half the time it takes when I shop alone. 

So it's been a wonderful week, and tomorrow we get a new one. How great is that?!

How about some more Madame Chic?

Always use the best things you have. Don't save them for company. Who is more important than you and your family? 

Use your best dishes, sliver, and linens, the best room in the house.

Use your best manners; especially with your family.

Declutter and keep only your best things.

Immerse yourself in the arts - play music throughout the day, visit the museums near you, attend theater productions no matter how small. And you'll find a world of cultural on YouTube.

Analyze your spending habits and be happy with what you have.

Watch less TV and read more books. 

Travel more, even if it's just to the next state.

No matter how old you are, take classes in what interests you.

Develop a positive outlook and enjoy even simple things.

Become more selective of the foods you eat (I think she was talking to me), the clothes you wear (no more sweat pants and tee shirts?), and how you spend your time.

I highly recommend this book. Not only good lessons, but fun to read, nice to hold, and well designed. We all deserve a new book now and then. I'm going to start reading At Home with Madame Chic, and I'll keep both books (rare for me), to read over again later.

EAT YOUR APPLES EVERYDAY

REMEMBER TO HYDRATE

WEAR SUNSCREEN

TREAT YOURSELF THIS WEEK: A NEW GARMENT, FLOWERS, A BOOK OR CD, A MANI-PEDI

PLANT SOMETHING

VISIT, CALL, OR WRITE SOMEONE YOU HAVEN'T CONNECTED WITH LATELY

THANK YOU FOR SHARING MY LIFE