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