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Summer 2012 Bucket List
Summer Vacation is soon upon us. A time of year I LOVE! The lack of routine is so refreshing but amazingly enough becomes a little old after only a few weeks (and depending on the moment, sometimes only after a few days). So this summer my boys and I have created a ‘Bucket List’. Things we all want to do in the course of our lazy-days of summer. Somethings are things I want to do as a family. Some things are dreams. Others are already being planned. This is our list of plans, ideas and joys for the summer: Ride our Bike to Tasty Freeze Have a backyard game of kickball Catch fireflies…
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Easter Preparations
The eggs are boiled for dyeing tonight: The potato salad for the big pot-luck get together tomorrow is in the works: New Easter clothes are purchased. My boys will be dashing: There is something about a holiday that is a bit rejuvenating. What do you do to prepare for Easter? Up from the grave He arose; with a mighty triumph o’er His foes;He arose a victor from the dark domain, and He lives forever, with His saints to reign. He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!– Leanne from MilitaryAvenue.com Join Us byLeanne KocsisonSaturday, April 07, 2012Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to PinterestMilitary Life:Easter,Leanne
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Tasty Tuesday Blackberry Scones
Blackberry Scones. Right there, I am drooling!Warm, wet and wonderful hot out of the oven; berries popping out the sides of blackberry scones. From start to finish, these are ready to eat within the hour using everyday shelf items: with the exception of those juicy berries. We have berries growing and thriving and multiplying like 60. Dale picks them, I clean them; we eat them. Simple! Today we had oatmeal with blackberries for breakfast, a 10 o’clock snack was a blackberry muffin from last night and lunch will be a garden fresh tossed salad topped with… Yep! Blackberries, plump purple and delicious. The scone idea is new. Neighbors are coming…
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A Slice of Summer
Ahhhh Summer Fare. There are so many good, fresh, healthy foods out there this time of year. It is my favorite time for munching and crunching! Fresh, healthy foods are an investment in your health as well as your wallet. Before we dive into some of my favorite recipes I want to share just a couple of money saving tips for your eating pleasure: The Garden, my passion, on so many fronts. It embodies good health, good stewardship, and good eats! According to USAA: “A National Gardening Association study found that families with gardens spent an average of $70 on supplies and reaped $600 of food a year.” Grow Money in Your…
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Tasty Tuesday: Smells, Sights and Tastes of Summer Potato Salad
I am a sucker for Heinen’s Potato Salad! But purchasing it from the deli can be quite a strain on the family grocery-budget. So I had a mission… make it myself. And I think I did it. It may not be “Heinen’s Signature Recipe” but it is mine now and I love it. Leanne’s Smells, Sights and Tastes of Summer Potato Salad4 to 5 Red Potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled5 slices of baconOne packet of Ranch Dressing Mix (8 oz)1/2 Cup of Sour Cream1/2 Cup of Mayonnaise1/4 Cup of fresh chives, chopped1/2 Cup of vidalia or red onion, chopped1/2 Tablespoon dried-basilCut potatoes into quarters and place in large pot. Fill your pot…
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Pan Seared Steak with Horseradish Mashed Spuds
I was never sure about horseradish. It is oh so strong. I like hot peppers, but there really is nothing similar other than a strong taste. I love zippy salad dressings… again the strong taste. Then we were in Nashville and I had an order of fried green tomatoes with a horseradish dip. Whoa! Oh so good! So, I began to experiment with this new taste sensation. Mashed potatoes was the perfect playground. And with potatoes comes steak… my man is a fan!This menu is for two… a beautiful night if you can manage adds so much to the event. 🙂3 large potatoes (I prefer Yukon gold, but any large…
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Cold Summer Grape Salad
Seedless green and purple grapes cold from the refrigerator have a way of bursting a summer gush of refreshment right there in your mouth! This simple, delicious healthy salad is perfect for a dinner side dish. I make a lot, as this dish seems to call for just one more spoonful.. just one more and more and so on.Cold Summer Grape Salad1 bunch of seedless green grapes1 bunch of seedless purple or black grapes1 8 ounce brick of cream cheese, room temperature1 c. sour cream2/3 c sugar1 c chopped walnuts or pecansWash grapes and remove pieces of stems, drain so they are not dripping water.In a mixing bowl combine cream…
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Tasty Tuesday From Seeds to the Table
We did it! Threw fertilizer here and there, rotor tilled in fresh compost dirt, planted seeds after threat of frost. Frost came: turned on the sprinklers at some early ungodly hour and let it run, as the water is warmer than the air not allowing ice to form, and the sun did not have a crystal prism through which it could burn our babies! So, seeds in… popped out the ground, had an initial weeding, thinning and OH YEAH.. .We have spinach, lettuce and strawberries for our first salad of the season. A side salad, but oh so good. I will remember to rinse those leaves 6 times as opposed…
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Tasty Tuesday: Great Snack Bits
After a great late lunch in a touristy type town in Florida, evening had a way of showing up. Dinner promised to be as good as the long walk, the shops and laughter. This was not going to be a heavy sit down affair, as we were ready to nibble. Mary and Ed had it all planned. We picked out a movie to watch, Mary served up a chilled bowl of gazpacho and then filled up snazzy serving bowls of Great Snack Bits. Perfect food, wonderful fun and memories that I will hold dear. Isn’t that the way it is when you visit good USAF folk! The snack mix is…
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Hot Topic: What’s in your Garden? Lots of Green &Red! Baked Beets with Feta and Pesto
Folks want to know “What is growing in your garden?” If it was just up to the garden, and not the gardener… the answer would be weeds, weeds, weeds. However, with a quick check of my nail cuticles… you know that at our house it is a daily stretch out there, and the weeds get ‘bucketed’. I do not know a better looking vista, than a neatly planted, well maintained vegetable garden. And hooray, this year we have a frameable picture. Two new rows of lettuce are just popping out. 3 early plantings are so tall… that if I don’t use them quickly (and giving them to friends is tone…
