El Jimador

I have lived in this area for 16 years, and we have yet to find a local Mexican Restaurant that was any good. That was, until last night.

When we arrived at El Jimador, the parking lot was full and as we were shown to our seat, I glanced at what people were eating. It all looked good!

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Four of us went and each of us ordered a wonderful meal. My husband started off his meal with Sopa De Pollo, a wonderful chicken soup! We all tasted it and declared it marvelous!

Between us we ordered a Taco Salad, Steak Fajitas, Chile Relleno, a Tamale, Enchilada and a Beef Burrito. The portions were more than generous, and we brought home what was leftover for our lunch tomorrow.

The décor was nice, the staff was friendly and efficient, and we can hardly wait to go back. It is so nice when you find these places right in your back yard!

Crazy Saturday

Life can sometimes be a little crazy. Today was one of those days. It wasn’t that it was bad, it was more that I was really busy from the moment my feet hit the floor until, well, I sat down to write this post.

I made the third (and thankfully better) batch of Heavenly Jam. It took quite a bit of cooking time, which meant standing over a hot stove. But this batch seemed to come out better.

After that I began the rather arduous task of peeling and cutting up the cucumbers, onions and peppers for a half batch of Moon Glow Pickles. Tomorrow I will can it.

I then pronounced that dinner would be leftovers, as I simply couldn’t face preparing another meal tonight.

Yesterday I tried a new recipe for Wiener Schnitzel and it was less than great. It was edible, but that was about all you could say about it.

I have also been trying to get the house whipped into shape, and I am failing miserably. I need about three days of doing nothing but making trips to the recycling center with JUNK! Maybe that should be a week! But I think sometimes, just getting started is the hardest part.

Although the garden did not live up to my expectations, it has produced a fair number of cukes and beans. Oh yes, and also eggplant. The tomatoes are starting to come in, and spaghetti sauces will be made.

Eggplant Lasagna

I love eggplant, and currently have six plants in my garden. They have grown long thin eggplants, and this year, it seemed that many of their long fingers ripened at once. Yesterday I harvested 24 Ichiban Eggplants. I thought about what I could do and it came to me…Eggplant lasagna!

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  1. So I peeled the Eggplant, sliced them in half, and tossed them in Italian bread crumbs. Then I put them on a PAM sprayed cookie sheet, gave them a little pray on their upper side, and roasted in the oven at 425 degree for 20 minutes, turn and cook for another 15 minutes or until they are nicely browned on both sides.
  2. Once roasted, I set them on wire racks to cool.
  3. Meanwhile, I had my own Spaghetti Sauce, made with Italian Sausage, that I thawed and had standing by.
  4. I used 8 ounces of Ricotta Cheese mixed with 1 egg. (Or 1/4 cup of egg whites) Whip it thoroughly.
  5. Cook 6 lasagna noodles.
  6. Get a 9X11 inch glass pan. Spray with PAM or other nonstick spray.
  7. Layer:
  • Spread a small amount of spaghetti sauce on bottom of pan.
  • Lay one layer of lasagna noodles in pan. (mine hold three across.)
  • Spread spaghetti sauce on noodles.
  • Place a layer of Eggplant in the same direction of the noodles.
  • Take some shredded Mozzarella cheese and place over eggplant lightly.
  • Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top of that.
  • Then place dollops of Ricotta mixture on top of that, and then spread all over the top of the eggplants.
  • Then place the second layer of noodles across this.
  • Cover with spaghetti sauce.
  • Then place the second layer off eggplant on top of this.
  • Then sprinkle a fair amount of Mozzarella cheese.
  • Lastly, take some Parmesan cheese and sprinkle on the top.
  1. Cook in a 350 degree oven for 50-55 minutes. Make sure cheese is melted and bubbly.
  2. Take out of oven and set on the top of stove, turning off the heat.
  3. Let sit for about 10 minutes so it will “jell” and be easier to cut.

If you have any questions, let me know. I will be trying this with regular eggplant this winter, when my garden stops producing.

Mom

It’s been two years since my Mom passed away.  Ours was a difficult relationship, while she lived, but there were those moments, the good memories, that seem to be coming in and taking over, and the sad and bitter memories fade away.

Rosamond Ruth

June 28, 1929 – August 21, 2013

Mom in April

I hope you are happy, and resting peacefully

with all of our loved ones, who went before.

TBT: Me Age 10

Mom said, I was always bringing home strays, and here are the kittens from one of the strays I brought home.

I was walking home from school, when I saw a dirty, but fat cat in the road. I spoke to her and she followed me. She seemed very hungry and so, when I got home I fed her milk and some of the cat food we had for our Siamese, Smokey.

About that time, Mom came in and questioned me about the cat. It was determined that the next day we would bring her to the animal shelter. Mom suspected she was not fat, but expecting kittens!

Sure enough, that night, the cat had three kittens, and then she passed away. Mom, Mel and I all took turns feeding the babies and they all lived. We even had two of them with us for a while.

Falmouth 1968

The two we kept were Ebony and Endora, which I am holding.

I still look out for, and rescue critters when I can. I sure hate to see anything lost or suffering. I guess it just was in my genes, and started very early.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Way back when (the Hodgepodge bicentennial to be precise) several of you submitted questions as part of a giveaway I was hosting. I went back to that list for inspiration today and found a question submitted by Marla, who blogs over at Marla’s Musings. Thanks Marla!

She asks-At what age did you feel like a ‘grown-up’? What keeps you young now?

I felt grown up at 26. I was faced with a life changing event. That was when I knew I was an adult. It was sink or swim. What keeps me young now? Easy…Savannah!

11915443_10207306395999851_4128664911584445531_n (2) 2. When did you last buy a vehicle? Was this by design or because you had no other option? Was the car/truck purchased for your own personal use or was it bought for someone else to drive? On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being delightful and 1 being ‘pass the Excedrin’) how would you rate the experience? Okay, it is a year and a half ago. We bought our Toyota Highlander. It was by necessity. Previously we owned an old 4 wheel drive Jeep, which was our winter car. That Jeep was really old. Anyway, midwinter a year and a half ago, Hubby and I drove to the grocery store in a snow storm. We got out of the car, closed the drivers side door and all the rusty metal, just fell off!!! We knew what we wanted to buy, but it wasn’t until we saw an add a few months later for a 2012 Highlander, with 8000 miles on it.

Highlander

The car was pristine, one owner, and around what we wanted to pay. But the dealership nickled and dimed us, and after getting half way home with our car, we realized they’d only given us one key fob! We called them and they claimed that Hubby had lost it! Finally they said that it only came to them with the one fob. Oh, and a new one would be $150.00 and another $100.00 to program. We quickly associated ourselves with a better and more trusted dealership, that got us the key fob for a reasonable price and programmed it for a lot less.

So although we love the Highlander, we detested the experience with the Dealership.

3. Corn bread, corn chips, corn pudding, corn on the cob, cornflakes, corn chowder-your favorite of the corn-y foods listed? What needs to be served alongside your selection?

Corn on the cob. It needs no accompanying dish. Good summer corn is a delight all by itself!

4. What’s something in your life that regularly requires you to ‘put your thinking cap on’?

Meals. Although I love to cook, I get into a rut with meals. Some days I wish we could just go out, as I get too tired to even cook!

5. Share a favorite movie set in a school or classroom, or whose theme relates to school days in some way.

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I think I relate to that movie now, because I realize how different we all were back then in school, but how alike we were too. Full of doubt, wondering about our abilities. Yes, The Breakfast Club for sure!

6. Reading, writing, and ‘rithmatic’ are commonly referred to as the three R’s. What are the three R’s in your life right now?

Running around, as I try to can and freeze the produce we have from the garden. Rheumatology, as I am working to find just the right mix of meds to take for my arthritis. Reservations, as we will be attending an Army Aviators Reunion in the Fall.

7. What’s something you’ve learned or tried recently you can say was as ‘easy as ABC’?

We went out to Olive Garden and I tried their Minestrone Soup. I do not like Minestrone Soup, but thought, what the heck. Well, I loved it! Their soup is awesome!

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I got my stitches out today and the hand is just a little sore, but really, it is all good. I now have official therapy to do with my hand, and in about 6 weeks I will be better than ever!

Life

Tuesday afternoon, I get my stitches out. Two neat stitches just under my middle finger on the right hand. I had the bandage off to shower, and it looks great. I expect that once the stitches are out, it will be easier to do my physical therapy.

As it is, I have really come a long way. I can almost open my fingers up perfectly straight, and I no longer wake with that finger locked. Really, the hand isn’t just good, but great!

I managed to can 9 half pints of Heavenly Peach Jam! It tasted so good! After that I sat down and did half of the prep work for another batch.

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I cooked  our meals, hand washed a ton of pots and pans, and got it all done by 7:30. But, I do admit to being tired tonight.

We’re having a tremendous heat-wave here in New Hampshire. Actually I think it is all over the USA. And currently, there is no end in sight.

I love the new vacuum and plan to get it out on Wednesday and completely do the house. Miss Lili is just one giant shedding machine!

Weekend Wrap-Up

  • Started the day driving 219 miles home from my sister’s home in Connecticut. Traffic was light, and I listened to a combination of music and news, but 219 miles is 219 miles. That’s a long, long way. Four hours, and fifteen minutes.
  • My new pet peeve are drivers that ride your tail on the highway. I am no slouch. I was going 70 miles an hour in a 65 mile per hour zone and this crazy driver from Massachusetts, rode my bumper like crazy. She finally passed me, only to do the same thing to the man in front of me.
  • I stopped at BJ’s just as my gas tank empty alarm started. I made a round trip on one tank of gas!
  • I also needed to renew our membership at BJ’s and the nice Customer Service Agent, told me that Hubby’s Veteran discount to our membership is automatic since we signed up a year ago. I think it is great when businesses give discounts to our Veterans!
  • As soon as I came home I peeled peaches from the yard, and mashed them, chopped the skin of 1 orange thinly, added the juice of the orange, and cut up maraschino cherries, to rest overnight in the kettle, and tomorrow Hubby and I will make the Heavenly Jam. You can fine the recipe Here. Tomorrow we will cook the jam and can it.
  • I also managed to cook homemade spaghetti sauce, which I will freeze for the winter. I toss in lots of vegetables, and some ground beef. That recipe is Here. It’s a good one!
  • I also, somehow made dinner for the two of us. Weiss-wurst, oven fries and corn on the cob.
  • The weekend was wonderful. I had 4 days with my sister and niece.

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  • The baby shower was a great success. Jinny got so many beautiful things for her expected baby, April. Just one more month.

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  • Hubby and the dogs were all happy to see me when I got back. But I must say, as wonderful as my visit was, it is good to come home to all this love!

Getting Ready

Friday found Melodie, Jinny and I going off to get a few things done.  We wanted to get a new DVD player for Mel’s house, get a few last minute items for the baby shower and have lunch at Olive Garden.  Mel and I stopped at Best Buy to get the DVD player and then we came out got into the car and watched the man next to us strap in his two girls.  Then he drove off and my sister was checking for other cars,when she spotted a wallet.  She quickly grabbed it and found no money, but all of his credit cards and his drivers license.

So she took it back to the store and we are hopeful he will return and get it back.

Lunch was great and then we came home to cook. We had one old family recipe for three layer bars, and one for Lemon Squares, that Melodie got from a friend.  We even watched a DVD movie “The Fault In Our Stars”. Now the gifts are wrapped and we are ready for tomorrow!

Friday Five

It’s a busy but wonderful weekend for me. I am down in Connecticut with my sister and her family. This includes her husband of over 40 years, their two sons and their wives, two teenage boys, one teenage girl, and twin 2 year old boys! And currently we are waiting for the birth of the latest addition to our family, as Mel’s daughter is expecting her first baby, a girl,  in a month. So here are 5 things on my mind.

  1. Babies!  So excited for my sister and niece!
  2. Love shopping for baby gear!
  3. Spending time with my family is just the best.
  4. The weather is perfect!
  5. We had local corn! I plan to take some home!