Home again to be gone again

This past week was great fun while staying at the Sprague RV Park on Big Meadows Road; just one mile from the farm where I lived as a small child. Of course the area has built up considerably over the past decades, but I sat in Rod and Karen's beautiful garden and marveled at how quiet it was. Granted an occasional car went by, but overall it was thoroughly peaceful.

Karen had a full slate for us to include a going-away party for her grandson who is going to be attending school in Flagstaff, a rose garden tour, pedicures, shopping, canning, and a party.

I was naming the friends and family we wanted to see this past week, and she suggested we just invite everyone to her house! So along with some neighbors, we were able to visit with Davenport and Spokane friends and relatives. It worked out very well.

For all the cooking, baking, catering, and cookbook reading I have done over the years, I have never canned fruit........but Karen has and she has all the right equipment, so "in our spare time" we canned pears and peaches. With two people it is a perfect match for an assembly line process, and it is very satisfying to see the beautiful fruit sparkling in the jars. We purchased the pears on our way through Prosser, and then Ken and Rod went to Green Bluff to pick the peaches. You can't get fruit much fresher than that.

Now here at home we had a few gravenstein apples beckoning to us, so I now have an apple pie in the oven. The rest of the apples are not ready yet, but there are blackberries galore if we were inclined to pick them.

Oops, no time to do that since we leave in the morning for Tahoe. Two days of driving for two days of fun and then two more days of driving. I find the Jetta to not be very comfortable for a long trip so Colleen has offered us her Honda - which is a very comfortable ride. Thanks Colleen!

And then as soon as we get back from California next week, we are going to go back to Spokane to retrieve the motor home from Rod and Karen's backyard and proceed on to Montana for a few days. Keith says their property is now gated, but accessible with a level place to park, so I think we might check it out. I don't know why I have such a strong draw to Montana, but I do. It is probably all the gorgeous scenery and the sense of wide open spaces. I would be happy as a clam to live in Montana on some remote piece of land - especially if it were on a lake or a creek.

Today is Nolan's birthday. I tried to call but didn't get an answer on his cell phone. I suspect there are great family fun things going on with his Grandma Betty and his cousins, Gray and Celia. I'm not even sure if he and Warren are in school yet, but if not, it must be close.

I have not posted a recipe for a while, and this one is very appropriate because it came from Nolan's Grandma Betty. It is a little different take on the ever-present breakfast casserole and it is tastier and easier than any others I have made.

Bagel Breakfast Casserole

¼ cup butter, melted (you could spray the dish with Pam and use less butter (but wouldn’t be as yummy)
8 cups plain bagels, cut into bite-sized pieces ( 4-6 bagels)
3 oz smoked ham, cut into strips or small pieces (I buy it at the deli)
8 oz Swiss or Monterey Jack cheese – shredded (2 cups)
¼ cup fresh snipped chives or parsley (if parsley, I suggest flat leaf (Italian) rather than the less-flavorful curly-leaf)
8 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk – can use skim
1 cup cottage cheese – can use low-fat
¼ tsp pepper

Place melted butter in a 3-qt rectangular baking dish to cover the bottom. Spread bagel pieces evenly in prepared dish. Sprinkle ham, swiss cheese and chives evenly over bagel pieces. In large bowl, combine eggs, milk, cottage cheese and pepper. Pour over layers in dish.

Press down gently using the back of a wooden spoon to moisten all of the ingredients. Cover and chill for 4-24 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake, uncovered, about 45 minutes or until set and edges are puffed and golden. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Makes 10-12 servings. Great reheated. Bon appetit

Ciao

The Kirkwood Clan

Oh my I've been remiss about blogging, but I think that is a typical summer malady - too much to do....

We saw everyone off for home the latter part of July, and within two weeks Keith called to say he had a business trip and would be arriving on the 7th. So we had a fun short visit with him before he went home on Thursday.

It has been quiet on the Virginia front, but I think Brian and Sheila moved into their house last Friday, and I presume by now their household goods have been delivered and they are busy unpacking, arranging furniture, hanging pictures, and assembling whatever has to be assembled. I know Nolan has some new bedroom furniture and Warren is the owner of a basketball-sized chicken for his bedroom decor.

Under the guise of making up to our neighbors for all the traffic, noise, and confusion in July, we invited all of them here on Sunday afternoon. We have lived in this house almost fifteen years, some neighbors have lived here longer, and not a one had ever darkened our doorstep. We all wave to each other as we pass on the street down below, but that is it.

So we had an enjoyable afternoon visiting with some old and some new neighbors. Later in the afternoon we invited 3 other couples for dinner - the McKains who live behind us, Elisabeth Merritt and Katherine and Kit Baker; the latter two women were my buddies in the real estate days.

We served beef kabobs, a tried and true recipe of Brian and Sheila's, along with taboulah, Caesar salad, and a rustic fruit tart for dessert. We didn't do much of anything the next day!! But wait, there's more.

Brian learned while he was here that one of his college friends lost his wife to an infection last spring, and Jim is left to rear his six and ten year old daughters. After several messages from us that we wanted to help if we could, Jim relented and let us go to Seattle for a visit - and take dinner. So that was roasted lemon chickens on croutons, tossed salad, homemade macaroni and cheese, and snickerdoodles. It was a good visit, and I have no doubt Jim will manage just fine, knowing he will have some sad and difficult moments. We are hoping there will be other ways we might be able to intervene with him and the girls.

We are going to Spokane this weekend and taking the motorhome and Cooper. We'll park at Rod and Karen's and she and I have grand plans to do some canning and preserving along with making a batch of sausage strudels. We will also see Mike, Mary and Becky to ooh and aah over new baby Benjamin.

There is a quilt show on the 25th and 26th, in Reardan of all places, so Karen and I plan to take that in. Then Ken and I have to get back here to repack so we can drive to Lake Tahoe for Labor day weekend and Rana Jayne's wedding. We will leave the motorhome at Rod and Karen's and upon returning from Tahoe, we hope to take a little jaunt to Montana or BC, or some other equally interesting spot. More to follow. Ciao

Water Fountain, Australia & a Bug

A quick story to share and a couple of pictures.

While visiting in San Jose in June, it was a must that Bev and I do a bit of shopping.......we didn't need a thing, but the stores were beckoning, so off we went.

At the entrance to one of the stores was a very cute little round metal table and two chairs that Bev determined she needed at home (fortunately all three pieces had folding legs), and sitting next to this cute little set was a wicker rocker (plastic wicker, but cute), and Bev felt the need to own that as well. Now keep in mind that we are traveling in her VW bug, but to our benefit, it is a convertible. So after much lifting, hauling, tugging, moving, and shoving, I share with you the end result.

Also during the month of June, you will recall that Colleen spent three weeks in Australia to visit Bassim and his family. The outcome of the visit was a mutual decision to NOT get married (but I am waiting to see if that holds true), but she had a wonderful visit as can be seen in this handsome photo.

One more story - no picture. While Brian and Sheila were visiting, she and I entered into a discussion about the merits of garden fountains and how I have always wanted one. Always seeking a project, Sheila immediately leafed through a Sunset magazine to an article showing in detail how to make such fountain, and since she is always always up to take on a project she made a mental note of what would be needed, not the least of which were two large pots.

Later that day, still with the fountain plans in hand, she, Brian and I stopped at Costco to do some grocery shopping. As Sheila headed off in one direction, Brian and I ferried our cart toward the produce/bakery departments when what to my wondering eyes should appear but a big fat round beautiful deep red pot that sort of resembled the shape of an apple. "Oh, there is a perfect pot for the fountain", I cried, and then upon closer inspection, Brian chortled, "It IS a fountain." So with one deft swoop, he had it loaded into the cart.

Soon Sheila found us, with not a single item of food in the cart, but said she too had seen the fountains, and had been scheming as to how to purchase one and get it home (in a rented KIA sedan, without my noticing) to surprise me!!!!!

So I have a lovely bubbly fountain on the back patio that gurgles and splashes, and the added bonus is that the little hummingbirds have found it and come to drink and "shower". Ciao