New Years Eve at the Lake House

Not a big snow like last year. Almost there.


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Location:New York 90,Cayuga,United States

Finnish Bread

The perfect braid.




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Perfect Pomegranate Martini - Less Than Perfect??

5 oz Vodka  -  320 cal
1 oz  Pom Juice - 20 cal
1 oz Pom Syrup - 90 cal
1 Tbs Cointreau  31 cal / Triple Sec 51 cal

6 oz. serving =  395 - 412 cal = 8 WW points

Save up the points and Enjoy!!!

2nd Eye

Getting ready for the left eye.


No more one lens in the glasses, not that anyone ever noticed.


The left eye is marked.



Cute booties.

Almost home

It's 4:52 and we're almost home.
According to the GPS we skould be there at 5:05. It was a pretty rainy ride but better than snow or ice.





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Bridge Club

Ginny took this picture of us at bridge at her house in November. This is year 42 for our bridge group and I think we all look pretty good for a bunch of oldsters. We met at Kodak, pretty much right out of college for a lot of us. It's been great having our history together and one of these days Ginny and I are going to write it up like we keep saying we will.

Front row: Beth, Karen, Barb, Ginny
Back row: Kathy, Sue, Betsy, Jackie, Joan
Missing: Kay
Then I found these pictures on my computer. I know there are other ones that we took over the years, but not digital, so I will have to do some searching.
This picture was taken at the Plum Garden in Pittsford., I think this was taken in 2007.

Sue and Kay are missing from this picture.

This was taken at Mex's but I don't remember what year.
One eye of Kay is visible in this picture. We'll need to do another group shot when we're all together again.

Going to Greta's

We just passed an accident on 490 by the Mall. A big truck hit a little one. The roads are slick.


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Tire Surprise

Merry Christmas to me. I'm getting a new tire on my 6 month old car since I had a bolt in it which we discovered fell from our garage door. Good thing I drove my car before leaving to drive to Greta's for Christmas.

Chicken with Noodles and Vegetables in Ginger Broth

We had movie night last night and saw My Sisters Keeper. The ending was way different than the book.
Before the movie we had an Asian dinner. We had a variety of appetizers (non-Asian), soup, and then everyone had to make their own Spring rolls.
This is the original soup recipe which was in my latest Weight Watchers booklet - Dec 13-19.

Chicken with Noodles and Vegetables in Ginger Broth
4 oz rice noodles
2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
2 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp honey
4 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger
3 star anise pods (I couldn't find this so didn't use)
4 (5 oz) skinless, boneless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
1 medium yellow squash, halved lengthwise and sliced
4 oz snow peas, trimmed and halved
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Cook rice noddles according to package directions; drain.
Meanwhile, combine broth, soy sauce, honey, ginger, and star anise in large skillet; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 5 minutes. Add chicken; return to simmer. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Add yellow squash and peas. Cook until chicken is cooked throught and vegetables are crisp-tender, 5 minutes longer. Remove and discard ginger and star anise. Divide noodles among 4 bowls. Top each with chicken breast and ¼ of stock mixture. Top with cilantro. (Oops - I forgot the cilantro),

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 25 min
Serves 4
7 points per serving

Convert a File to an Audiobook

I like to listen to books on tape/CD.  I used to walk around with my walkman CD player but now that I have an iPhone I like to copy them onto that.  Here's an easy way to convert the books to audiobook format after they are copied into iTunes.
Right-click a track, or group of tracks (I do a CD's worth at a time) and select Get Info, head to the Options tab, and then select Audiobook from the Media Kind drop-down menu. The file will instantly leave your Music library and head straight for your Audiobook library. To mark multiple files at once, just select them all and go through the same process. The only remaining step is to tick the Remember Position checkbox if you haven't already, and your tracks should now have easily found their way to your Audiobooks section, and even better, they should work like an audiobook.

Cataract Surgery

Larry is having cataract surgery on his right eye now. Here he's signing his consent forms.




I took this picture before I had to leave.


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We went to Cirque Dreams

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The Way We Were

I created a new book that I sent to Nadine and Gerry for Christmas.

The Way We Were | BOOK INFO

Finnish Coffee Bread - breadmaker

Points for Breadmaker Finnish coffee bread

1 ¼ cups warm milk - 2 pts
2 eggs divided - 4
2 Tbls butter - 6
¼ tsp salt - 0
4 cups flour - 36
½ cup sugar - 8
1½ tsp ground cardamom
1½ teaspoon yeast - 0
1 cup raisins - 8

Total 64 points for 2 loaves
32 per loaf
16 per half loaf
8 servings (1 in) per half loaf
2 pts per serving

Almond Crescents

I'm making these to bring to Betty's cookie exchange. Before I eat any, I have to calculate the points which I'll add to the end of the recipe.

This is the picture I took after I made them.

This is the picture that came with the recipe. They used a lot more powdered sugar and better lighting. They look prettier, shape is much better, but doesn't all that sugar get caught in your throat and all over your clothes? I shook a lot of my sugar off.

I added a lot more sugar and took another pic.   There's a ton of sugar on them.  I guess that's what food photographers do.


Almond Crescents

makes about 48 cookies

Planning note: Dough must be refrigerated for at least 4 hours before baking.

1 cup butter or margarine, softened (24 pts)

1/3 cup sugar (5 pts)

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 can Solo or 1 jar Baker Almond filling (20 pts)

2 cups all-purpose flour (19 pts)

Confectioners sugar

Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in almond extract and almond filling until blended. Stir in flour with wooden spoon to make stiff dough. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or until dough is no longer sticky.

Preheat oven to 325° F.

Dust hands with flour. Shape teaspoonfuls of dough into small tapered crescents about 21/2 inches apart.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until cookies are firm and lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets on wire racks 1 minute. Remove from baking sheets and cool on racks. Dust with confectioners sugar while cookies are still warm. Cool completely. Store in airtight containers.

Points - 1.5 per cookie when there are 48 cookies.

Added more color

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Mantle is done

I'm getting really good at bows now. All it takes is wire!


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Tree Trimming

We decorated the tree today. Mantle is next but first a little workout before we go to Barb & Bob's for lasagna dinner.





Here's a close up of the bow at the top.







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Ripple Afghan

I finished the ripple afghan and set a record for me. Started and finished in the same year.



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Regional Market Trip

We thought our Essence meeting was today although after we got there we were told it was tomorrow and after we got home our calendar did say it was tomorrow.  And we both looked at the calendar.  I have to admit, Larry was the one who told me it was on Tuesday, and I looked to see the address of where we were going and never noticed the date.  You can tell we are OLD!!!

So instead, we went out to the Regional Market in Henrietta and in search of rice paper to make Spring Rolls.  First we went to Lee's Asian Mkt and bought rice paper, rice vermicelli, fresh herbs and some sauces.  Then we went to Niblack Foods where they have all kinds of herbs and spices.  We got ground cardamom in a reasonable size .75 oz which will probably take a while to use since I only use it for the Finnish coffee bread.  Our next stop was to Palmer's Fish Market which is now the size of a city block, mainly warehouse I'm assuming.  In the front of the place is the store and restaurant.  We bought tuna and had lunch there.  
Even though we didn't have anything left to get, we walked over to Lori's Natural Food and took a walk through the store which is all organic and natural foods, products and health aids.
So all in all, it was good that we had the wrong day for the meeting because it got us out of the house early and we accomplished a lot.

Beer Can Chicken

I wanted to try beer can chicken in the oven since it wasn't the greatest day for cooking outdoors. We have a holder for the chicken that fits, sort of, over the can. When I thought the chicken was done, I wanted to check the temperature of the chicken to make sure it really was done. When I tried to put the thermometer in the chicken it toppled the beer over into the juice in the pan. What a great flavor it made for gravy. I'm going to do this everytime I make it indoors. I won't knock it over, but I will add the beer to all the drippings.



Recipe for Beer Can Chicken
Rinse and dry inside and out of whole chicken.
Apply a seasoning rub, I used a blackened seasoning that I had, inside and out, about 6 Tbls. Try to get under the skin.
Take a beer can, pour out ½ cup of it but don't throw away - drink it, you deserve it.
Using a can opener poke a couple of more holes into and put a Tbls of seasoning into it. Sit the chicken completely onto the can carefully so that the chicken rests on it legs.

Cook the chicken about 1-1/2 hours at 350ºF. To ensure proper doneness, make sure the temperature of the thigh is 170ºF, as measured with a reliable meat thermometer.

When done, remove the beer can and use the contents to make a gravy. If made on the grill, all the juices just drain away.

Here's a rub recipe for the chicken:
Beer Can Chicken Rub (1/4 Cup of Rub)

2 TBSP. Paprika
1 ½ tsp. Dark Brown Sugar
1 ½ tsp. Sugar
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
½ tsp. Celery Salt
½ tsp Ground Pepper
½ tsp Garlic Powder
½ tsp Onion Powder
½ tsp Dry Mustard

Combine all ingredients in a jar. You may store the rub in an airtight container for up to six months. Make sure to shake the rub thoroughly before using.
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Dinner is served

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On our way to Pittsburgh

We stopped at the Welcome Center when we entered PA and got a view of Lake Erie.




Laura in the back seat.


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Paula's German Chocolate Bars

Paula's Sweet Treat: German Chocolate Bars - ABC News

Paula's German Chocolate Cake Bars

Makes one 9x13-inch pan

Irresistible bites of gooey deliciousness! Cut your squares big for a dessert-size portion or smaller if you're serving a crowd.

Crust:
1 18-ounce box chocolate, Swiss chocolate, or devil's food cake mix (not the one with pudding added!)
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg

Filling:
1 14-ounce can low-fat sweetened condensed milk1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan well with butter.
In a medium bowl, mix together the cake mix, butter and egg, and press into the bottom of the prepared pan. The crust should not come up the sides. Bake for 7 minutes and remove from the oven. The crust will not look done.

While the crust is baking, in a medium bowl mix together the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, egg, pecans and coconut. Pour evenly over the warm crust, sprinkle evenly with the chocolate chips, and bake for 24 to 30 minutes, until the top is a light golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool completely before cutting into squares. *Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen's Kitchen Wisdom and Recipe Journal; Simon & Schuster, 2008.

My Version of French Onion Soup

I took what I thought was the best of a couple of recipes and it became this:

4 lbs yellow onions
6 cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
3 tbls unsalted butter cut into 3 pieces
¾ cup wine (whatever you have - red or white)
⅓ cup cognac

2 cans chicken broth

2 cans beef broth

6 sprigs fresh thyme tied with kitchen twine

1 bay leaf

1 tsp Dijon mustard

Sourdough bread

Gruyere or Swiss cheese, grated or shaved

Directions:
For the soup:

1. Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Generously spray the inside of a heavy-bottomed large (at least 7-quart) Dutch oven with a nonstick cooking spray. Place the butter in the pot and add the onions and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, covered, for 1 hour (the onions will be moist and slightly reduced in volume). Remove the pot from the oven and stir the onions, scraping the bottom and sides of the pot. Return the pot to the oven with the lid slightly ajar and continue to cook until the onions are very soft and golden brown, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours longer, stirring the onions and scraping bottom and sides of pot after 1 hour.
3. Carefully remove pot from oven and place over medium-high heat. Using oven mitts to handle pot, cook onions, stirring frequently and scraping bottom and sides of pot, until the liquid evaporates and the onions brown, 15 to 20 minutes, reducing the heat to medium if the onions are browning too quickly. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the pot bottom is coated with a dark crust, roughly 6 to 8 minutes, adjusting the heat as necessary. (Scrape any fond that collects on spoon back into onions.)
4. Stir in 1/4 cup wine, scraping the pot bottom to loosen crust, and cook until water evaporates and pot bottom has formed another dark crust, 6 to 8 minutes. Repeat process of deglazing 2 or 3 more times, until onions are very dark brown. Stir in the cognac and cook, stirring frequently, until the cognac evaporates, about 5 minutes.
5. Stir in the broths, mustard, thyme, bay leaf, and ½teaspoon salt, scraping up any final bits of browned crust on bottom and sides of pot.
6. Increase heat to high and bring to simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove and discard herbs, then season with salt and pepper.

While the soup is cooking slice the bread and put on baking sheet in 400 degree oven for abaout 10 minutes until the bread is dry, crisp, and golden at edges.

Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Set individual broiler-safe crocks on baking sheet and fill each with about 1¾cups soup. Top each bowl with 1 or 2 bread slices (do not overlap) and cover evenly with cheese. Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly around edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Let soup cool sufficiently to be able to taste the flavor. If eaten when it is too hot the savory flavor is lost.

Stuffed Cabbage

Cabbage Rolls are made with cabbage leaves filled with ground beef and rice, with tomato sauce.

Ingredients:

• 1 head cabbage
• .
• Filling:
• 1½ pounds ground beef
• 1 cup cooked rice
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 egg
• ½ teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup milk
• .
• Sauce:
• 1 lg can tomato juice

Optional for sweet and sour:

• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons vinegar

Preparation:

Put cabbage in pot on stove or bowl in microwave and cook for awhile.  Remove softened leaves, return to heat and conitne until all cabbage leaves are separated from core. For filling, combine ground beef, rice, onion, egg, and salt, pepper, and milk. Mix well and place a portion into the center of each cabbage leaf. Roll leaf around filling and place in pot.  Pour tomato juice over cabbage rolls. Start on medium high heat to warm it up then turn down and simmer until done.

Salsa Chicken Rice Casserole

I haven't made this but I want to one of these days so I'm saving the recipe here and maybe I'll see it again one day.

Salsa Chicken Rice Casserole

Rated: Submitted By: Gweneth Photo By: CookingMommy Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 1 Hour Ready In: 1 Hour 20 Minutes Servings: 8

"Layers of rice, chicken, cheese and a creamy salsa sauce bursting with sass."

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups uncooked white rice 2 2/3 cups water 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup 1 onion, chopped 1 1/2 cups mild salsa

Directions:

1.	Place rice and water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
2.	Meanwhile, place chicken breast halves into a large saucepan, and fill the pan with water. Bring to a boil, and cook for 20 minutes, or until done. Remove chicken from water. When cool enough to handle, cut meat into bite-size pieces.
3.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
4.	In a medium bowl, combine Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheeses. In a separate bowl, mix together cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, onion, and salsa. Layer 1/2 of the rice, 1/2 of the chicken, 1/2 of the soup and salsa mixture, and 1/2 of the cheese mixture in prepared dish. Repeat layers, ending with cheese.
5.	Bake in preheated oven for about 40 minutes, or until bubbly.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2009 Allrecipes.com

Printed from Allrecipes.com 11/18/2009

Kitchen Book

Click here to view this photo book larger

Updated Kitchen Pictures

Knobs and matching backsplash

Decorative touch above cabinets



We added 2 more lights


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A Busy Friday

We played golf this afternoon, the temp was in the 50s. On the 9th hole I hit a drive 151 yards up to the Purple Martin house


followed by an awful 47 yard fairway shot.
We had a late lunch at the club and now we're at the RPO.





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