Friday Foodie - International Picnic Edition

It's Missions Week at Victory Tabernacle. We heard our three branch pastors on Wednesday night and Bro. and Sis. Wheeler will be with us on Sunday. And between these services will be our International Picnic!

Each of us is to bring food from our native country. I decided to go full out Italian this year! I knew I would make pasta salad with pesto sauce for my side dish, but that was it. Since our family originated in Genoa, Italy, I wanted to make something with Genoa Salami!


I Googled Genoa Salami and found numerous recipes. I decided to go with Stromboli. There were many recipes and I sort of combined several. I decided to let Les be the guinea pig, so I tried the recipe on Wednesday night.

Kathy's Stromboli

1 Pillsbury Pizza crust
Italian seasonings and Garlic salt
12 slices Genoa Salami (that's one 3 oz. package)
Parmesan cheese
6 pieces Provolone Cheese
Several Slices Of Pepperoni

1. Roll out pizza crust on lightly greased pan.
2. Sprinkle Italian seasonings and garlic salt on crust
3. Layer ingredients
4. Roll the dough like a jelly-roll (or cinnamon-roll style). As you roll the dough, make sure to keep all of the ingredients tucked inside and pinch the ends as you roll to keep the filling from slipping out as you roll. Carefully pinch the seam shut (and the ends) and place on the sheet pan seam-side down.



5. Lightly sprinkle the top of the dough with Italian seasoning and grated Parmesan.


6. Baked at 350 for 20-25 minutes until crust is a deep brown


7. Let sit for 5 minutes, then slice into 1" slices (mine may have been a little bigger). ** Cutting tip: if you have an electric knife it works beautifully!


8. Serve with warm marinara sauce.


This was a winner!

And now for dessert... Straight from my Rosalie Serving Italian cookbook.

ROSALIE'S ITALIAN CREAM CAKE

For the cake:
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda

½ cup butter
2 cups sugar
½ cup mild olive oil
5 egg yolks

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour

5 egg whites

1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup chopped pecan or walnut pieces

Butter for greasing pans
Flour for dusting pans

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 stick butter
2 (8-ounce) packages Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla

½ cup toasted coconut ( toast in dry skillet, stirring constantly about 1 minute)

Sugar Glazed Pecans
½ cup whole pecans
1 to 2 teaspoons sugar
1 small skillet

1. Preheat oven to 325-degrees. Combine buttermilk and baking soda in a two-cup measure to allow room for mixture to foam up; set aside. Beat butter and sugar until creamy. Add olive oil slowly until blended. Continue to beat until mixture is smooth and shiny. Add egg yolks one at a time and beat well after each addition; stir in vanilla. Add buttermilk mixture and flour, alternately a little at a time, beginning and ending with flour.

2. Clean beaters and beat egg whites until stiff. Fold egg whites gently into batter. Stir in coconut and pecans. Pour into three 9-inch cake pans, greased with butter and dusted with flour. Bake for 30 minutes, or until cake springs back when touched. Cool cakes on racks.

3. To make Cream Cheese Frosting - mix cream cheese and butter with electric mixer until smooth. Stir in powdered sugar until mixed. Add vanilla. Let it set in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before frosting the cake.

4. Place cake on cake stand. Frost each layer with Cream Cheese Frosting including sides and top of cake.

5. Put pecans in skillet and sprinkle with the sugar. Turn heat to medium and begin stirring pecans; sugar will begin to melt. Continue stirring until a glaze forms on pecans and they become slightly browned. Remove from heat and place on waxed paper to cool.

6. Garnish cake with Sugar Glazed Pecans and Toasted Coconut.

I made this cake earlier today. My cake pans were 8 1/2", so I had a little batter left over. I made 6 cupcakes and Les and I sampled them after lunch. Mmmmm!!!

I did not calculate the points on either of these items. I am SURE they are not WW friendly, but they sure are yummy!

Blogger Issues

Found this info on my Dashboard for any of you who are wondering what's been going on with Blogger. My "Happiness" post from yesterday is still missing. It will make me really happy when it reappears!

1:55 p.m. edit - my "Happiness" post is now back.

Blogger is back

May 13, 2011 — permalink

What a frustrating day. We’re very sorry that you’ve been unable to publish to Blogger for the past 20.5 hours. We’re nearly back to normal — you can publish again, and in the coming hours posts and comments that were temporarily removed should be restored. Thank you for your patience while we fix this situation. We use Blogger for our own blogs, so we’ve also felt your pain.

Here’s what happened: during scheduled maintenance work Wednesday night, we experienced some data corruption that impacted Blogger’s behavior. Since then, bloggers and readers may have experienced a variety of anomalies including intermittent outages, disappearing posts, and arriving at unintended blogs or error pages. A small subset of Blogger users (we estimate 0.16%) may have encountered additional problems specific to their accounts. Yesterday we returned Blogger to a pre-maintenance state and placed the service in read-only mode while we worked on restoring all content: that’s why you haven’t been able to publish. We rolled back to a version of Blogger as of Wednesday May 11th, so your posts since then were temporarily removed. Those are the posts that we’re in the progress of restoring.

Again, we are very sorry for the impact to our authors and readers. We try hard to ensure Blogger is always available for you to share your thoughts and opinions with the world, and we’ll do our best to prevent this from happening again.

Posted by Eddie Kessler, Tech Lead/Manager, Blogger

Happiness

My friend, Bekki, blogged yesterday about 50 things that make her happy. I decided to make my own list. Like Bekki, my husband and my Savior are at the top of the list, everyday.

These are not in any particular order, just as they popped into my brain...

1. My family
2. Riding down Las Llayas Canyon on Myka after a long hard climb
3. A good run on a cool morning
4. Trying a new recipe and having it turn out great
5. Traveling and planning the trip
6. Chocolate - I could probably come up with 50 different chocolate things that make me happy, but I will just use one number
7. Reading a good book
8. Hearing from an old friend
9. Going to a camp or conference and seeing hundreds of Apostolics worshiping in one place.
10. Sitting in the sun when it's about 75 outside
11. Rainy Fall days
12. Taking pictures
13. Looking at old pictures
14. Finding shoes that I like in my size
15. Spotting wildlife in my backyard - especially when it's a bobcat
16. My new Kindle - so many books in one little place
17. Blogging
18. Watching my nieces and nephews grow up
19. Maintaining my weight for 5 years
20. The beach
21. Remembering Rod's incredible wit and sense of humor
22. Good hair days
23. Cute clothes that are also modest
24. Making new friends
25. Keeping old friends
26. A song in my heart
27. Ice cold tea on a hot day
28. A clean house (not the actually cleaning, but when it is clean!)
29. Good church
30. Discovering my family tree
31. Sincere compliments
32. Letting someone go ahead of me in the grocery store when they only have a couple items and I have a full cart
33. Getting flowers from Les
34. Good clean jokes
35. Sunday afternoon naps
36. Giving a gift that I know is going to be a hit
37. Waking up and seeing I have another hour to sleep
38. Diving into a cool pool on a hot day
39. Hearing my doctor say last week, "You're the poster child for good health!"
40. Revival in my own church and around the world
41. Our 1992 Saturn that keeps running
42. Giggling little girls
43. Smiling, happy babies
44. Comments on my blog (hint, hint...)
45. Talking to Dad on the phone every Monday
46. Popolo's Pizza (well just about any pizza, but Popolo's is my favorite)
47. My roses blooming by the front door
48. Reading by the fireplace
49. Warm flannel sheets on a cold night
50. My life - I am blessed and I know it.

How about you? Can you think of 50 things that make you happy?? Count your blessings!

Food Rules From Hungry Girl

I have been a fan of Hungry Girl for many years. Before she wrote cookbooks and before she was endorsed by Weight Watchers, Lisa Lillien was sending daily emails with tips and recipes. Last week I received one that I wanted to share. Hungry Girl's Food Rules! (Italicized notes are mine.)

1. Don't drink your calories. There's nothing sadder than realizing you just consumed hundreds of calories by sipping a sweet drink... and you're still hungry! For the most part, I look for drinks with no more than 50 calories per cup, and I always check the labels carefully for the total servings per bottle. I completely agree with this with the exception of my morning shake. 2 cups of light soymilk, 1 cup of frozen berries, 2 scoops of Recoverite blended together = 6 WW Points Plus. This keeps be satisfied until lunch time, is extremely nutritious, plus I get 2 servings of dairy and 2 servings of fruit in one sitting.

2. The 80/20 rule. I live by it. It means that 80 percent of the time, I eat what I know I should be eating. And 20 percent of the time, I allow myself to stray a bit. It's important to indulge every once in a while... like, maybe, 20 percent of the time! I agree with this completely! And live by it and maintain my weight by it. Life would be BORING if I didn't indulge part of the time.

3. Don't turn a bad meal into a bad week. So you made a poor food choice. You're human. Don't give up and throw in the towel just because you overate. Jump right back into things at your next meal. No biggie. Truly. Yep - "Shame off Me" as long as I get right back on track.

4. Identify and avoid your trigger foods. These are the foods you can't be trusted around -- the ones where "just a few" turns into WAY too much; the foods that seem to make you hungrier and hungrier. Don't keep these foods in the house. They're too tempting and not worth the trouble... This is a little trickier... most of the time I don't have trigger foods. Really! But occasionally something will really hit the spot and I can't stop! (See #2 and #3)

5. Don't make excuses -- it's all about being prepared. The Boy Scouts know what they're talking about! If you know you're going out to dinner, check out the menu online so you can plan ahead and make smart choices. And always keep emergency snacks handy -- in your purse, car, desk drawer... wherever you might need them. Then you won't need to make excuses. I definitely check the menu in advance if I know where I'm going out to eat. It can be a downer sometimes, but it can also be a big help! Who knew a salad could be so many points?

When to Listen and When to Tune Out

Mom had a saying. She used it frequently when we kids were telling her something someone else said. It was her way of making us think about what was said and who said it. You've probably heard it yourself. When one of us would say, "well, so and so said..." she would respond with:

Believe none of what you hear and half of what you see.

Benjamin Franklin said that. He and Mom were pretty smart! When it comes to words, a strong filter on our ears is needed. I hope we all know that we need to be careful of what we say. But what about what we hear? These may be very obvious, but I can't get away from the need to write, so here are some tips on knowing when to listen and when to tune out:


Who is the speaker? Are they a close friend or family member? Have their words been trust worthy in the past? Are they a known gossip? Are they "well meaning" but often misguided? I have read many anonymous blog comments and when poison spews from an anonymous source - just ignore it.



Who is the target? Is the person being talked about someone you know well - you know their life and their habits, whether good or bad?


Why are they telling you about this? Does what you're being told affect you personally? Will this hurt you or your family? Or is it coming from the "I just had to share with someone" angle? If the situation is painful, are they careful in what they say or do they say it with just a little too much glee?


What if YOU are the target? How should you respond to criticism? First, go back to Who is the Speaker? Then ask yourself - why are they telling me this? When I first lost weight on Weight Watchers I had a former co-worker tell me, "Don't get rid of your old clothes, you'll eventually regain the weight and need them." Those words haunted me when I did regain the weight. But I look back now and realize this was a person who was not nice to anyone. She didn't treat any of her co-workers with respect. Her words should not have hurt me, because I had the power to gain or the lose the weight, not her.



And finally, run it through the Philippians 4:8 test:

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true,
whatsoever things are honest,
whatsoever things are just,
whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are lovely,
whatsoever things are of good report;
if there be any virtue,
and if there be any praise,
think on these things."

And may I add... listen to these things!

Can I Get An Amen??

Sis. White gave me this card for my birthday a couple weeks ago. It's my favorite this year!

The cover:


The inside:



Isn't it great??

Irreplaceable Mom

Happy Mother's Day to all you Moms!


There has only been one lady in my life whom I called "Mom." No matter how much time I spent at my best friend's house, I never called her mother "Mom." Just one lady got that title from me. I don't know why, maybe I knew we wouldn't have as many years together as others.



No one can ever take her place. She's an irreplaceable Mom!

Hundreds of dewdrops to greet the dawn,
Hundreds of bees in the purple clover,
Hundreds of butterflies on the lawn,
But only one mother the wide world over.
~George Cooper

Happy Birthday, Dad!

I've often been called a "Daddy's girl"...


Mom recorded in my baby book: "DaDa is Kathy's first word. This was said on October 16, age 5 1/2 months. The others all said MaMa first! Wonder if she'll be a Daddy's girl?"


But who wouldn't want to be a Daddy's Girl...


When they have such a wonderful Dad!


Happy Birthday, Dad! Hope your day is as wonderful as you. Love you!

Mileage Update - Milestone Week and Squirrel Races

While riding Myka yesterday morning I crossed the 1,000 mile mark for the year! I reached this milestone last year on June 7th and on May 15th in 2009. Looks like I'm headed for a record breaking year!

The funniest thing happened yesterday while I was riding. I always see a lot of birds, squirrels, rabbits, and coyotes while I'm out. As I was coming down the trail, going at a pretty quick pace, four squirrels jumped out on the trail in front of me. It was like they saw me coming and counted down... "Go, see if we can outrun her!" and off they went! Before I could catch them, they all ran back into the bushes.

Totals for Week ending May 7:
Running: 41.84
Cycling: 25.16
Total: 67.00

Year-to-Date:
Running: 564.85
Cycling: 461.73
Total: 1026.58

Inspiration, Take 2

It seems that each new Runner's World magazine I receive brings new inspiration. I found two women in this month's edition that I want to introduce to you.

Kathleen Sebelius, 63, is Health and Human Services Secretary in Washington, D.C. She is also the former governor of Kansas. She has been running for 30 years, and currently runs five days a week. Here are a few quotes from her:

• "I've got guys on the security detail that run with me. Over the course of a year and a half, some of them have had to stop running because of various injuries. I keep teasing them because I'm much older and I'm still running."
• "Running is one of the most natural forms of exercise for kids. They start out running around, and then it becomes a great way to promote a regular routine."
• "As you get older, you don't need to be fast, you just need to keep running."

And now, please meet Gladys Burrill.


Gladys completed December's Honolulu Marathon in 9 hours, 53 minutes, 16 seconds and set a Guinness World Record for the oldest woman to complete the distance. She is 92!!!! She ran her first marathon at age 86, this was her fifth. That means I've got another 39 years before I need to run my first marathon...

And I guess I can't say "Now that I'm 47, I'll need to slow down..."


P.S. May is Physical Fitness and Sports Month. It's already the 6th - what have you done to move more?

Driving My Testimony

I have written before about our faithful 1992 Saturn. About a year and a half ago the odometer quit working at 292,941 miles. So while we don't know exactly how many miles she has, we know it's over 300,000!!


In 1999, our church started the "Millennium Fund" to raise funds for a future building. Our Saturn had about 100,000 miles at that time. Les and I committed to give and I prayed that our car would keep running.

A couple weeks ago we had her in for a tune-up. There were a couple other things that needed to be fixed as well. The total cost was about the same as a single car payment. When we got her back, she was just purring! I called to thank our mechanic (who is a neighbor and overall nice guy) and he said, "Maybe it'll last another 100,000 miles!"

It dawned on me last week - every time we drive that car it is a testament to God's faithfulness. Every time she starts up, it's an answer to prayer. People can't believe we are driving a 19 year old car, but I want to keep on driving her! She's like the widow's cruse of oil and barrel of meal that didn't run out (See I Kings chapter 17.) She's a testimony all her own!

Cycling, Santa Barbara Style

You've probably noticed I've been talking about Santa Barbara quite a bit lately. Les is working there now. It's 75 miles one way, but his boss is kindly paying for him to spend the night in a hotel whenever he wishes. He really likes the job and we're thankful for that! Les can also work from home part of the time, but he needs to be in the office most days to get to know everyone and how the company works.

I've tagged along when my schedule has allowed. We enjoy the drive together - it doesn't seem long when the company is so good! We get to see the ocean for about 30 miles of the drive and that makes me very happy.


I enjoy being in Santa Barbara. The shops are interesting. There are cool cafes on every other corner. And I can always find a bench to read or people watch! Oh the people! They are so fascinating. Every type - from business people to vacationing families to college students to homeless people.


What you also see is a lot of bicycles! They are every where. Every type from fancy carbon fiber to mountain bikes to beach cruisers. Just as there are a variety of bikes, there are just as many types of riders. We were walking down State Street on Thursday night and I said, "Something's wrong with that guy's helmet." Les said, "I think it's on backwards!" And sure enough, it was!

Last Friday, I spent about 10 minutes sitting on a bench on State Street, iPhone in hand. Here are some of the riders I saw:

Fully kitted out in matching spandex, a "serious" cyclist with a helmet and clip in shoes...


He was behind this fellow in jeans and baseball cap!


Wearing a backpack, was she a college student between classes or a tourist?


It's not uncommon to see restaurant workers in their uniforms on their way to work...


I think this is the only one who even looked my way as I was snapping pictures!


A mix between casual (jeans) and serious (helmet)...


Checking his cell phone...


You can't see it, but there is a basket on the front of this one. I've seen baskets with all kinds of stuff in them!


This was one of my favorites! This lady was just smiling away as she pedaled up State Street in her high heeled sandals!!


I then made my way down to the beach and watched the riders on the bike path:


It's more fun when we all ride together...


Flip flops and a straw hat? Sure, why not!


If you're ever in Santa Barbara without a bike, don't worry! You can rent one of many varieties...

Thoughts on Osama bin Laden and 9/11

I've had a little over a day to think about what took place on Sunday in Pakistan. More than anything, the death of Osama bin Laden brought back what occurred on September 11, 2001. I heard military personnel on the radio yesterday - servicemen and women who have fought, who have lost friends and comrades. I heard a man who worked at Ground Zero after the attacks - he made me cry.

I still remember getting in my car that Tuesday morning and heading to work at Amgen. Both towers had already been hit at that time, along with the Pentagon. Living so close to Los Angeles, we wondered if a plane was also headed our way.


Very little work got done that morning. We just kept looking at each other in shock, then returning to our computers to read the latest updates and look at the latest horrifying pictures. As the day progressed, word spread that an Amgen Clinical Development team had been in Washington, D.C. The team was there for meetings with the FDA regarding approval for a new drug. Later in the day, team members checked in, reporting they were okay, but stranded in D.C. for the time being. They had been scheduled for a Tuesday afternoon flight. Then we got word that Dora Menchaca, the team leader, had changed her flight to Tuesday morning. She was on American flight 77 that flew into the Pentagon.

I remember the first time Les and I flew after 9/11. It was about six weeks later. I was not real comfortable with the idea, but looking back it was probably the safest time to fly. I turned to the book of Psalms and let God's word bring comfort.

Nearly a decade later, the mastermind of the attacks has now been captured, killed, and buried at sea. Does that mean the war against terrorism is over? Certainly not. He was one of many who would love to destroy America.

The question I began asking myself was "Does the death of Osama bin Laden change anything for me personally?" I have great respect and admiration for our military personnel. Navy SEALS fascinate me. But my peace of mind and safety does not lie within their control. My answer is this:

My Hope is Built on Nothing Less
by Edward Mote, 1797-1874

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

What Kind of Shopper Are You?

I have a little birthday money to spend, so I thought it would be fun to take this quiz to see what kind of shopper I am. (Just Google "What kind of shopper are you quiz" and you'll find quite a few to choose from.) It pegged me perfectly!!

You Are a Discount Shopper

You love to get things as cheaply as possible. You live for sales. It's partially because you like to save money, but it's also because you like the thrill of finding a fabulous deal.

Of all the types, you tend to shop frequently but rarely buy. You keep an eye on prices. Brand names are not that important to you. You know how to have style without collecting designer tags.


The results from another quiz said: "You are the antithesis of all fashionistas. You want the next best bargain and don't mind going far to get it. Your attitude is: why should I spend more than needed for what I wear?"


Yet another said, "When you go shopping, you plan on buying 2 or 3 things, but not come home with 6 bags. You know you'll buy something but you're not on a spree. Also, you try to spend your money wisely instead of just going all out!"


And the final one said: Bargain Hunter. Ever found yourself trailing your friends around every shop in the mall before you buy a single item? What a Bargain Hunter wants is not important, how much it costs takes priority. Some people look at colors, some people look at cuts...you look at labels...in particular price labels. You're likely to only part with your money in stores with SALE signs.


So... what kind of shopper are you?

Be A Help

The Pioneer Woman does more giveaways than any other blogger I know. Not that I personally know PW... but, she's doing something fantastic this week and everyone wins.

This week she is giving away four (4) $500 donations to the charity of the winners’ choice in an effort to help those devastated by the tornadoes in the South. In addition, she is giving a quarter to charity for every person who leaves a comment (as of 9:56 pm she has 1148 comments, that's $287 already.) This will cost you about 30 seconds, so please go do it.

Click here and feel good about it.