The Best Thing Since Sliced...

A few weeks ago, I got wind of a new trend. This one happens to be healthy.  Have you heard of Mason Jar Salads? The concept is to make salad for the week when you bring those veggies home from the market and store them individually in Mason jars. I had to try this and I am sold.

Here's the deal. Buy your favorite salad fixings. Wash them in one part vinegar to 10 parts water. That is suppose to clean them up and kill any miniscule things you don't really want. Line the jars up. I bought quart size jars with wide mouth openings. 12 for $10 or so. Chop the wettest veggies first. Generally the tomatoes, next cucmbers, then celery, then carrots or radishes and green onions. Finally top off with chopped lettuce. Push the lettuce down a bit to pack it in. Place the lid and then store in the fridege.

I usually add spinach to the mix when I put the salad in a bowl for serving. Spinach doesn't chop to well. It has  tendency to wilt. If you are taking these to work, you can add dressing first so that it stays in the bottom of the jar and then shake to mix it at serving time.

Obviously, you can add meat or egg or whatever other veggies you like best. Just put the wettest ones in the bottom. This stays amazingly fresh. Mason jar seals or really good.

I love salad but making one everyday is a pain. I always have good intentions and then at the end of the week I find this runny stuff still in bags in the fridge. What a waste of cash.  Making salad once and storing it in separate containers fits my bill. For more info or other ideas, just Google Mason jar Salads. An amazing number will pop up.

Have fun and good eating!

Happy Mother's Day to everyone.

Happy Mother's Day to all of you who have mothered someone or something. That is a broad definition, I know. That definition is also good. Mothering someone or something is worthwhile. If you haven't mothered then mentor. We mothers like to share. Life is good!

My view today...Amen!

Cinco de Mayo

I may not be Hispanic, but I am a believer.
So looking forward to a margarita and quesadillas this eve.

A story from a Cinco de Mayo celebration a few years back...

Today is the Cinco de Mayo half marathon except it is on Once de Mayo and Mother's Day to boot. A rainy day in Portland but would you expect anything else. I am the designated driver and stuff-holder. Here is this fit young man posing for the photographer at the start of it all. He’s got the Portland Spirit.

One of the benefits of running this race is the promise of a couple of beers at the end. Drew left his ID at home. They wouldn’t serve him. I grabbed his race placard and went to the oldest person taking tickets, showed her “my” race number and started to pass through the line. She looked at me quizzically and asked if I had run in the race. I replied “Doesn’t it look like I did?” Me in my jeans and birkenstocks. Who argues with a 60 year old woman? Not a 70 year old that’s for sure. One benefit of aging. PS The beer was good and cold even if it was 9AM

Ya Gotta Love Skype

I know I do.

My son lives in Amsterdam and Skype allows us to video conference on a regular basis and best of all, it's free of charge. Having worked for Ma Bell back in the day, I wonder how all this is possible.
Sundays generally are our day to connect. I was thinking about him today and made this digital layout with a picture he sent to me when he was in the French Alps. Photo via Smartphone and What's App messaging. Ya gotta love this too! Hi Drew!

Voices: Amy Tan

I've read a number of her books. The Bonesetter's Daughter was my personal favorite although The Joy Luck Club is good too. I often wonder how much of a person's life story ends up in their writings. In this case, quite a lot. Ms Tan was born in the US to immigrant parents from China. On this evening, she shared the story of growing up with a mother who suffered from severe angst and perhaps depression.

Generally, I thought the lecture was too personal, a downer but some life stories are just that. I would have liked her to link her unusual upbringing to her life as a writer. Or, the journey she traveled to becoming a published writer. That didn't happen and I missed that aspect.

She graduated from Linfield College here in Oregon. It is where she met her husband of many years. Her next novel, Valley of Amazement, will be published later this year. I look forward to reading it.

If you live in Oregon, you should consider attending the Voices lecture series. There are four a year in October, November, February and April, featuring women speakers from all walks of life.

Next years lineup features Eve Ensler of Vagina Monolog fame, speaking on "In the Body of the World";
Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love, speaking on "Big Magic: Thoughts on Creative Living";

Marin Alsop, first woman to head a major American orchestra, speaks on "A Life in Music";

and Asenath Andrews, founded the Catherine Ferguson Academy for Young Women, educating teens with children and helping them break the cycle of poverty. She will speak on "Take Away Shoes and Give Girls Wings".

I hope to see you there!

Lemon Meringue Pie, Oh My!

Being one of 27 grandchildren, one on one time with Gramma is really special. Gramma Dorothy is a very good pie maker. On this day, she and Caite decided to make a lemon meringue. An internet recipe, improvising without a rolling pin (isn't that what empty wine bottles are for) or a rolling canvas, lots of pots and pans later, some angst and a lot of laughter, the golfers, Delse and Elaine, were the recipients of this amazing effort. Thanks you girls!

Ready for the oven...

Baked and ready to eat...

Lemons and More

When you have a Meyer lemon tree and a prolific producer of fruit it is, you are constantly on the look out for lemon recipes. This one I found in the new Oregonian cookbook which I discovered at Costco and was made possible by this delightful machine gifted to us by Rick's sister, Marcy, many years ago.

This machine is so simple, much better than the old fashioned ice cream maker. No salt, no ice required. Just put the inner container in the freezer. Overnight is best. Make the ingredients and pour in. Turn the crank every 3-4 minutes for a total of 20 minutes.
VOILA! and YUMMO!

Meyer Lemon Frozen Yogurt 
2 1/4 cups plain low fat yogurt
3/4 cup whipping cream
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 T light corn syrup
1/3 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice
1 T grated Meyer lemon zest

Whisk all together in a mixing bowl.
Process in an ice cream machine according to manufacturers directions.
Eat a lot!