Whew!

Time has flown and it has been a fun time.   I took some time off of work to spend with my Mom while she was here visiting.  Here is a run down of some of the things we did.  (I should probably break this post down into many, but it is an accomplishment just to get it done.)

One our favorite things to do to relax is knit.  Mom came with a lot of extra dish cloth yarn and since we both like home made dish cloths we decided to make a few.  During the down/TV time Mom knitted dishcloths 23 as of yesterday- I made a few of these, but she made the majority of them.  There are so many cute patterns out there and it is a great way to refresh your skills.  They even work great for facial washcloths.  We got our year supply.

We spent a little bit of time at the Family History Library.  It was fun to hear about my anscestors and learn a little about researching.  We did get to a point on one of them that we had to request a marriage certificate to progress any further.  We were in dungeons, looking at some microfilm and the power went out.  Thank goodness for emergency back up lighting.   Kind of funny, but memorable experience.   Hopefully this visit is one of many that Ralph and I make as we pursue some of our history's

We did a little bit of shopping.  Actually we spent three days running around looking in stores and hanging out.  Muphy's law...when you don't have money to spend you find lots of things you like.  We did find some super sales over the weekend and found a few steals.   We did splurge and purchased matching bracelets that we can add charms to.  The first charm we got were mom/daughter charms. Every time I look at it I think of her and how special she is to me.

It feels like I have done a lot of cooking lately. I love it!   Ralph normally takes care a lot of that, but it has been fun to get back into the kitchen and get my hands dirty.  I have made 5 batches of artisan bread since Mom has been here... along with two pots of soup. Here is one of the recipes that tastes so good and is a nice change from the normal food fare.

Picture from Sunset Magazine

Singapore Turkey Stew

• 1  pound  ground lean turkey
• 1/2  teaspoon  Chinese five spice
• 1/2  teaspoon  hot chili flakes
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 2  tablespoons  all-purpose flour
• 1  tablespoon  vegetable oil
• 2  cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1  tablespoon  grated fresh ginger
• 1  can (13 1/2 oz.) coconut milk
• 1  can (14 1/2 oz.) fat-skimmed chicken broth
• 1  head bok choy (12 oz.), rinsed, stem end trimmed, and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1  can (14 oz.) baby corn, drained
• 2  Roma tomatoes (about 8 oz. total), rinsed, cored, and chopped
• 1/4  cup  drained canned sliced water chestnuts
• 1/4  cup  thinly sliced green onions
• 1  tablespoon  lime juice
• 3  tablespoons  chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, mix ground turkey, five spice, chili flakes, and salt. Shape mixture into 1-inch balls. Pour flour onto a large rimmed plate and roll balls in flour to coat lightly.
2. Pour oil into a 4- to 5-quart nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add meatballs in a single layer. Cook, turning frequently, until lightly browned all over and barely pink in the center (cut to test), 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate.
3. Add garlic and ginger to pan and stir just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add coconut milk, broth, and meatballs; bring to a simmer. Adjust heat to maintain a simmer, cover, and cook until meatballs are no longer pink in the center, about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in bok choy, baby corn, tomatoes, water chestnuts, green onions, and lime juice and cook, stirring often, until bok choy leaves are wilted and stems are barely tender to bite, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve from pan.

I also got to make breakfast and dinner for Ralph's birthday.  Yes, I threw the diet out the window and had home made biscuits with sausage gravy and soft scrambled eggs.  For dinner we had bbq pork ribs with mashed potatoes, veggies and a salad.  His birthday cake was a peanut butter cake with chocolate filling and a cream cheese frosting.  Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of it before it was devoured by family.  It was very tasty.

Speaking of Ralph's B-day here is a picture of his card... it was fun to make and even more fun to give it to him.  He did express how much he enjoyed home made cards.  I then felt guilty because he is usually the one that gets left off the list.  I know!!!! he should be the first on the list.  I am committing to do much more betterer.