Christmas Quiche

I grew up having quiche for breakfast on Christmas morning. Quiche, made by my mother and homemade cinnamon rolls made by my grandmother. That's what we had EVERY Christmas. Scott does not like eggs. He actually refused to eat anything with eggs until my mom served him some one Christmas that we were in Boise. He ate it and actually enjoyed it.
So, I looked and looked and a couple of years ago found this casserole recipe. It is not too eggy, but it's enough like quiche that I feel my Christmas breakfast tradition has been fulfilled and Scott can't seem to get enough of it.

Christmas Breakfast Quiche

1 pound ground pork sausage, cooked

1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 teaspoon Penzey's mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon 4 S salt
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups skim milk
6 slices Great Harvest Sourdough Wheat Bread, toasted and cut into cubes
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

In a medium bowl, mix together mustard powder, salt, eggs and milk.

Add the sausage, mushrooms, bread cubes, and cheese, and stir to coat evenly.

Pour into a greased 9x13 inch baking dish.

Cover, and chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours, or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cover, and bake 45 to 60 minutes.

Uncover, and reduce temperature to 325 degrees F .

Bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until set.

Oranges and Strawberries

I just finished Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris. It was a wonderful book that Molly recommended to me. I enjoyed the story line and the questions that worked themselves out throughout the book. The little girl's nickname is called "Boise" and being from Idaho I read it that way...even though I'm sure it's something else. We all struggle with remembering our pasts and thinking sometimes things were so much worse than they really were. I enjoyed reading about how she came full circle to accepting and being able to love her mother and daughter.

I also read Astrid & Veronika by Linda Olsson. This was a nice easy read. A story of two women learning to live again by learning how to care about each other. Some tragic things occur in this book. I can't relate, but I can enjoy the read.

Sarah's Double Cheese Crab Dip

I had some extra fresh crab and I couldn't let it go to waste. This is something that Scott doesn't like as much as I do...but it's delicious!!



Sarah's Double Cheese Crab Dip

8 oz cream cheese, softened
8 oz crab meat
1 cup salsa
1/2 cup sliced olives
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
Use a pie plate and spread the cream cheese evenly in the bottom.
Sprinkle in half of the cheddar cheese.
Add the salsa and olives.
Spread the crab meat evenly over the top.
Cover with remaining cheddar cheese.
Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.
Serve with corn chips, tortilla chips or crackers.

Yummy Spaghetti

This homemade spaghetti dinner is what I started eating when I "went" healthy. This is so easy to make, and yet tastes so much better than anything that comes out of a jar. In fact not only does it taste better, but you get rid of any of that added sugar (check those labels, jarred sauce is HORRIBLE for you!!!) I love garlic, so I add a lot, but you can adjust to taste!

Rachel's Spaghetti

1 14.5oz can of Diced Tomatoes (I like fire roasted)

1 Tbl olive oil

2 cloves minced garlic

1 Tbl Penzey's Italian Seasoning

1 tsp Penzey's Sweet Basil

6 oz cooked Whole Wheat Thin Spaghetti Noodles

Feta or Parmesan Cheese

Put all ingredients in a saucepan.

Simmer over medium low heat, until heated through.

Spoon over bed of noodles.

Top with cheese.

I like to serve this with Great Harvest Sourdough Wheat bread and a big salad.

I finally finished

I just finished Love in the Time of Cholera, and I've never been happier to be done with a book. Isn't that horrible to say about a book that is suppose to be so amazing? A love story....not really. By the end I think it all came together, but it was a hard read. Long sentences, long paragraphs, long chapters. I sound uneducated, but it's difficult to read sometimes without a rest to absorb what you're reading.

One line I really enjoyed reading and do believe there is a lot of truth to it.

"But in her loneliness in the palace

she learned to know him,

they learned to know each other,

and she discovered with great delight

that one does not love one's children

just because they are one's children

but because of the friendship formed

while raising them."

(This also gives you an idea of how long the sentences are. I just made it look pretty for the blog.)

And since this was a love story, I do have to say there were a number of parts that talked about the realities of love, loving someone, and learning to love without perfection that I really enjoyed.

I cannot recommend this book to anyone that doesn't just LOVE reading. It took me over 2 weeks to read this book of less than 350 pages (usually I read 2 books a week). I didn't enjoy reading it as much as I think I should have, and am glad I'm done.

***Sorry for sharing it Stephanie...maybe you'll like it better than I did!***

My own version of Jambalaya

The closest thing this recipe comes to is Jambalaya...but it's kind of a stretch. Scott adores this dish, my mom made him something similar when she came to visit one time (about 10 years ago) and I was still vegetarian. Back then anything that had meat in it was a treat for him. My mom's good at just throwing things together...so there was no recipe...but this was my version I started a few years ago.

Kielbasa Jambalaya

1 5oz package Saffron Yellow Rice

1 lb Polska Kielbasa (sliced)

1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (do NOT drain)

1 yellow pepper (sliced)

1 green pepper (sliced)

1 small onion (sliced)

1 Tbls. Penzeys Medium Hot Crushed Red Pepper

Cook rice according to directions on package.

Spray skillet with olive oil and cook kielbasa until heated.

Added can of diced tomatoes, peppers, onion and crushed pepper.

Heat until simmering.

Serve on top of bed of yellow rice.

I had to include this picture of Sawyer. I love it when she helps with dinner!

Personal Legends

While on vacation in Boise, Sarah gave me The Alchemist to read. She had checked it out from the library and told me it was a quick read. I started it at the cabin and wasn't able to get too far into it. But once I got back to the townhouse, I was enraptured. It is a story about a boy's search for his Personal Legend, and I was so inspired by the time I finished the book, I realized that there are more things I can do with my life. I am looking for a book club in town that would be a good fit for me. I'm a quick reader, and I want to join a club where people will read the book and be able to finish it fairly quickly. I've been disappointed in the past, but I am excited to do this. Reading is a passion of mine, and I want to develop it. The second inspiration was to expand my business. I'm happy and content with how busy I am, but I know I could be doing more and I think I would truly be happier if I was out training more than a few times a month. It is a book I will search my Used Bookstore for, and it will be one that I will read at least every other year...for inspiration to keep living life to it's fullest.

Once home, I was able to start The Thirteenth Tale. This was said to be a ghost story but turned out to be so much more. A story about families. A story about siblings. A story about sisters. A story about women trying to find themselves...their lost selves! Such an amazing book. Such a wonderful twist.

The women in my family are starting a book share, where we will each pick out a book to pass around and share with each other....then to discuss when we've all read it. Sarah and I felt like we might be well on our way by sharing one of my favorite Amy Tan novels, The Hundred Secret Senses...but my grandmother wasn't as impressed...so I'm looking for a different flavor, for her sake. I believe The Thirteenth Tale might just be that book.