The Grotto

Rudolph, WI

 http://rudolphgrotto.org/home.htm

Happy Memorial Day!

Happy Anniversary Brookfield Civic Band

I was honored to have been apart of the band for nine years and to have performed the 25th Anniversary Concert!

"Panera's" Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1/4 large red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 – 3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cup low sodium beef broth or stock
2 (15 ounce) cans low sodium black beans, with liquid
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoons water
juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions:
Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Sautée onions and celery about 2 to 3 minutes. Add bell pepper and garlic and sautée 1 minute more.

Add beef broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 3 minutes.

Return heat to medium-high. Add half a can of beans, salt, cumin and cayenne pepper. Cook for 5 minutes.

Purée soup in blender, or use an immersion blender to purée right in the pot.

Add the rest of the beans to the soup and return to heat.

Combine the cornstarch with 1 1/2 tablespoons of water. Add the lemon juice and the cornstarch to the soup. Cook until thickened, about 5 minutes longer.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

"Panera's" Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Ingredients:

Servings:

4

• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 1/2 medium chopped onion
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups half-and-half cream
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 lb fresh broccoli
• 1 cup carrot, julienned
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese
• salt and pepper

Directions:

Prep Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 1 1/4 hr

1. 1 Sauté onion in butter. Set aside.
2. 2 Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and add the half & half.
3. 3 Add the chicken stock. Simmer for 20 minutes.
4. 4 Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat 20-25 minutes.
5. 5 Add salt and pepper. Can be puréed in a blender but I don't. Return to heat and add cheese. Stir in nutmeg.

Crockpot Barley Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 cup medium pearl barley
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp. fennel seed
• 9-oz. pkg. baby carrots
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 2 cups frozen green beans
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 3 (14 oz). cans vegetable broth
• 4 cups water
• 14-oz. can diced tomatoes with herbs, undrained

Preparation:

Place all ingredients except tomatoes in a 5-6 quart crockpot in the order given. Do not stir. Cover crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir soup and add tomatoes. Cover crockpot and cook for 10-15 minutes longer until soup is hot. Remove bay leaf before serving. 10 servings Calories: 150

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups brown rice
• 6 large green bell peppers
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons cooking sherry
• 1 teaspoon vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 cups extra firm tofu
• 1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a saucepan bring 3 cups water to a boil. Stir in rice. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 40 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, core and seed green peppers, leaving bottoms intact. Place peppers in a microwavable dish with about 1/2 inch of water in the bottom. Microwave on high for 6 minutes.
3. In a small frying pan bring soy sauce, wine and Worcestershire sauce to a simmer. Add tofu and simmer until the liquid is absorbed. Combine rice (after it has cooled), tofu, cranberries, nuts, cheese, salt and pepper; mix and pack firmly into peppers. Return peppers to the dish you first microwaved them in, and bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until lightly browned on top.
4. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over low heat, combine tomato sauce and brown sugar; heat until hot throughout. Spoon sauce over each serving.

Circus World Museum

There were a couple of firsts here!  This is the first time Fairy Girl has ever been to a circus.  This is the first circus Little Angel can remember (she was 1.5 the last time she went, oh, and Fairy Girl was one month from being born--speaking of which, I hold a grudge.  I WANTED to ride on the elephant--I was 3 weeks from delivering my second baby girl and I WANTED to ride on the elephant?  Why?  Because I thought that would be the ultimate pregnancy photo!  Well, my MOTHER would not let me!!!  Can you believe that???  I consulted my beloved OB-GYN (who, by the way, gave me special permission just to travel to my parents' place:)  And here was his response: "as your physician, I would have to advise against it.  But if it were my wife or daughter, I'd say go for it:)"  Yes, my o.b. was VERY cool and I miss him dearly:)

There were other firsts, the girls (and grandma) had their very first elephant ride!  And, the girls were selected to be apart of the children's circus performance, performing as non-other-than, elephants!  I thought they were spectacular elephants!  They had experience you know, an hour or two earlier, riding Bubbles!

OH!!  And this is the VERY same place where my Little Angel, pictured here at age 1.5, had her VERY first pony ride!

Holy Hill

This GORGEOUS and peaceful place tucked in/on the hills of the outskirts of beautiful small-town Hubertus, WI, is chalked with energy, light, and healing! I won't try to describe the history; no doubt the scope of its history goes far beyond what is described--but if you care to read about what is documented, here is a blurb. 

This place holds a lot of special meaning to me.  I don't recall if I was here as a child, but back in 2008 I made the brief journey with a friend of mine, who also happens to be a reiki master/practitioner---she is VERY connected and VERY spiritual.  Her name is Dawn---of course she took me to the infamous Mary Shrine and Mary Chapel where miraculous healings are said to have occurred.  It was a crowded day the day we went together--she picked up on a great deal of sadness around us, I was moved to share peace and joy.  But, next, what I wasn't expecting (thus I wore the wrong sandals:D) was a hike way down to a super charged energy vortex, set way down in a valley--it was a beautiful hike.  Dawn first asked the mosquitoes to respect our distance, and they left us alone:)  She then said some beautiful chants/ words, and shifted some energy.  And when we felt the time was right, I contributed with the reading of a Kahlil Gibran poem---as I was reading the poem, I came to the words describing the tolling of church bells, and at that EXACT moment, in complete Divine timing, the church bells tolled on the hill far above us!  It was a splendid, unforgettable moment of synchronicity, Divine Timing, and confirmation.

I returned to Holy Hill, on a gorgeous day in Wisconsin, on May 20, 2011.  It was a VERY peaceful and healing journey---I had many purposes for this trip--none of which I need to mention here--but what I walked away with was an incredible feeling of peacefulness and centeredness!  A visit to Holy Hill on this trip back to Wisconsin was probably more important than my primary purpose, band.  It is my hopes and prayers that with this trip I was able to help a few others who are near and dear to me, as well!

In sincere peace, joy and gratitude---I thank Thee!

Band!

We Love You Daddy!!!

My Sweet Girls

And Little Angel Says....

"MOMMY!!!!" (what honey?) "Oh, I forgot what I was going to say. I'll be right here thinking......."

Our Town Fest

Piper Poo!!

Easy Pina Colada French Toast

• 8 eggs
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/2 cup bottled pina colada drink mix
• 1 tablespoon butter, or as needed
• 12 (1/2 inch thick) slices French bread
• 2 bananas, sliced

Directions

1. Whisk together the eggs, milk, and pina colada mix in a bowl. Heat a skillet over medium heat; melt butter in the skillet until the foam disappears. Soak the bread slices in the egg mixture, turning the slices over a couple of times.
2. Gently lay the soaked bread slices into the hot skillet 2 at a time and pan-fry until the french toast is golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer cooked french toast slices to a warmed platter while you finish cooking. Top each 2-slice serving with several slices of banana to serve.

"Reece's" Squares (Oh Sweet Heaven!)

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1 lb confectioners' suger (3 to 3 1/2 cups)
• 1 1/2 cups peanut butter
• 1 cup butter, melted
• 1 (12 ounce) bag milk chocolate chips

Combine graham crumbs, sugar, and peanut butter in a bowl and mix well. Then blend in the melted butter until all is well combined.

Now press the mixture evenly into a 9 x 13 inch pan.

Next, melt your chocolate chips in the microwave, or if you're feeling fancy, in a double boiler, and spread over peanut butter mixture.

Chill until just set and cut into bars (Don't wait too long, as these are very hard to cut if the chocolate gets "rock hard.")

Friday the 13th

Friggatriskaidekaphobia is the fear of Friday the 13th (I seriously can't pronounce this word!)

Today is 05/13/2011. 0+5+1+3+2+0+1+1=13.
Something to ponder for Friday the 13th

Mother's Day 2011 (revisited:)

Mother's Day 2011

Sunsets, Dolphins, and Grandparents!

Sunsets and Dolphins!

 

I LOVE LOVE LOVE where we live; and I'm NOT going back!  But I really do miss my band nights, especially Thursday nights!  And, I'm currently still bandless...just waiting to get more settled to see what direction I'd like to go with my music.  In the meantime, I really have been VERY homesick for my Brookfield Band in particular, and some of my band friends....so, we had to come up with a Thursday night "thing" to keep me happy:)  And, we came up with something quite good, that we ALL really look forward to every week!  Our small town has a weekly Farmer's Market--on Thursdays!  This is not just a produce stand type of market--sure there is produce, but there is also hand-crafted items, gourmet foods (afterall, I did just purchase home-made ravioli tonight--asparagus and mascarpone cheese:D), chefs with stands, icecream, crepes, cake pops, sweet potato pie, gourmet soups, etc---yes, we come down every week to have dinner!  (and buy some produce:)--and not only is there food, crafts and produce, but live music!  

Following our weekly dinner and fun at the Farmer's Market, we go a couple of blocks down the road to the May River to enjoy the gorgeous South Carolina sunsets (and believe me, they really are very spectacular down here!)  And tonight, for the first time since we moved to SC---we were blessed by the presence of dolphins---three!  they were just swimming, not playing.  It was *only* in the 60s this evening; apparently they only like to play in warm weather--kind of like me:)

Mexican Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 2 packages (8 ounces each) reduced-fat cream cheese
• 1-1/4 cups reduced-fat sour cream, divided
• 1 envelope taco seasoning
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
• 1 cup chunky salsa, drained
• Tortilla chips or fresh vegetables

Directions

• In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, 1/2 cup sour cream and taco seasoning until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in cheddar cheese and chilies.
• Transfer to a greased 9-in. springform pan. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until center is almost set. Spread remaining sour cream evenly over top. Bake 5-8 minutes longer or until topping is set.
• Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight.
• Just before serving, spread salsa over cheesecake. Serve with tortilla chips or vegetables. Yield: 24 servings.

Pineapple Blackbean Enchiladas

INGREDIENTS

2

teaspoons vegetable oil

1

large yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

1

medium red bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)

1

can (20 oz) pineapple tidbits in juice, drained, 1/3 cup juice reserved

1

can (15 oz) Progresso® black beans, drained, rinsed

1

can (4.5 oz) Old El Paso® chopped green chiles

1

teaspoon salt

1/2

cup chopped fresh cilantro

3

cups shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (12 oz)

1

can (10 oz) Old El Paso® mild enchilada sauce

8

whole wheat flour tortillas (8 or 9 inch)

1/2

cup reduced-fat sour cream

8

teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS

• 1Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper; cook 4 to 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in pineapple, beans, green chiles and salt. Cook and stir until thoroughly heated. Remove skillet from heat. Stir in 1/2 cup cilantro and 2 cups of the cheese.
• 2Spoon and spread 1 tablespoon enchilada sauce onto each tortilla. Spoon about 3/4 cup vegetable mixture over sauce on each. Roll up tortillas; place seam side down in baking dish.
• 3In small bowl, mix reserved 1/3 cup pineapple juice and remaining enchilada sauce; pour over entire surface of enchiladas in dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Spray sheet of foil large enough to cover baking dish with cooking spray; place sprayed side down over baking dish and seal tightly.
• 4Bake 35 to 40 minutes, removing foil during last 5 to 10 minutes of baking, until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly. Top each baked enchilada with 1 tablespoon sour cream and 1 teaspoon cilantro.

2000 Degrees and 15 Hours Later....

Fettucini Alfredo

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 1/3 cups 1 percent low-fat milk
• 1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
• 2 tablespoons 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups hot cooked fettuccine (8 ounces uncooked pasta)
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• Cracked black pepper

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in flour. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk. Cook 6 minutes or until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Add 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, cream cheese, and salt, stirring with a whisk until cheeses melt. Toss sauce with hot pasta. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and chopped parsley. Garnish with black pepper.