Caramelized Corn with Tomatoes and Bacon

serves 2-4
3 strips of bacon
3 ears of fresh corn
1/4 cup of finely chopped red onion
pinch of sugar
2 perfectly ripe tomatoes
several fresh basil leaves, shredded or about 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Cut the bacon into 2 inch pieces and fry in a large skillet over meduim-low heat. As the bacon gently cooks, cut the kernels off the corn and chop the onion.
When the bacon has crisped, remove from the pan with a tongs and drain on paper towels or newspaper. Leave the fat in the pan and the heat turned down medium-low. Add the onion and sauté for about one minute and then add the corn. Sprinkle on the sugar and stir gently. If the pan seems to dry, you can add up to 1 tablespoon of butter but be careful, you don't want the dish to get greasy.
Keep an eye on things, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan, until the corn starts to turn golden brown and smells caramelized. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the herbs. Let cool slightly.
Meanwhile, chop the tomatoes into large chunks and place in a serving bowl. When the corn is no longer hot, add to the tomatoes and the reserved bacon and toss gently. Taste for salt and pepper and serve.

-source: http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/ingredients-vegetables/recipe-caramelized-corn-with-tomatoes-and-bacon--126077

Mushroom Pillows

Mushroom Pillows

2 (8 oz.) cans crescent Rolls
1 beaten egg
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1-2 tbsp poppy seed
1 (4oz.) can of mushrooms, chopped
2 tbsp of chopped onion
1 tsp seasoned salt


• Separate dough into 4 rectangles. Seal seams.

• Mix mushrooms, cream cheese and salt & onion. Spread on dough and roll into 4 long rolls.

• Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with poppy seeds.

• Chill, then slice into ¼ -inch slices.

• Bake 8-10 minutes at 375 degrees. Serve immediately.


-Source: Teri Pruett (Shannon’s old roommate). This is one of my favorites.

My latest blog design change

I just came upon the map design for the blog and had to go with it. There are several reasons that it felt right at this time.

1) We have just gotten home from a long road trip back from Florida and spring break. We had many stops on our week long journey and had a great vacation.

2) We listened to 2 of the Narnia books on audio tape - Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader - both of which of many of journeys of their own.

3) and most importantly - we have been studying maps and the globe many times in the last few days to figure out where the horrible Earthquakes and Tsunamis have struck. It is hard to comprehend all of the natural disasters that have happened in such a short period of time. All I feel I can do is pray and possibly donate to a charity - can you suggest good ones? Maybe the Red Cross!
-We were on the edge of our seats for a little while Friday morning after hearing about Japan and the earthquake. A close friend of ours sent their child on an exchange program Thursday and he was supposed to fly in to Tokyo. Luckily, the plane was delayed and ended up getting re-routed further south.

Cute Invitation

Have you heard of Paperless Post? My son just received one for a birthday party invitation. It looked very cute and I especially liked the way the envelope is sent. It reminds me of owl posts and howlers from Harry Potter.

Sweet Potato Fries

So, this is not a new recipe to me, just one of my many recent favorites that I thought I should share.

http://pinchmysalt.com/2008/11/04/vote-then-eat-some-rosemary-garlic-sweet-potato-fries/

Lent Begins Soon

Lent begins next Wednesday.

"The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer — through prayer, penitence, almsgiving and self-denial — for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, which recalls the events linked to the Passion of Christ and culminates in Easter, the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ."

I plan to give up Facebook and have thoughts about other foods and forms of entertainment that my family and I can do too.

Do you practice Lent?

Meat and Vegetable Spaghetti Sauce

I found this recipe online when I was searching for ways to add additional "secret" vegetables to make the spaghetti sauce extra healthy for my son who only admits to eating green beans. This turned out to be a family favorite!

This sauce has a TON of vegetables and a little bit of meat, and turns out super thick and delicious. You’d never know you were eating mostly vegetables. The ingredient list looks long, but it’s not difficult. Please give it a try. You will love it!
• Prep Time 30 Minutes Cook Time 2 Hours
• Difficulty Easy Servings

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 whole Yellow Onion, Diced
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 whole Green Pepper, Processed In A Food Processor
• 10 whole Baby Carrots, Processed In A Food Processor
• 1 whole Large Zucchini, Processed In A Food Processor
• 1 stalk Celery, Diced Fine
• 8 ounces, weight Sliced Mushrooms
• 1 pound Extra Lean Ground Beef (96% If Possible)
• ½ Tablespoons Salt
• ¼ Tablespoons Ground Black Pepper
• 1 Tablespoon Dried Parsley
• 1 Tablespoon Dried Oregano
• 1 Tablespoon Dried Basil
• 1 teaspoon Garlic Salt
• ½ Tablespoons Red Pepper Flakes
• ½ teaspoons Sugar
• ½ teaspoons Cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoons Nutmeg
• 1 can 28 Oz Can Whole Tomatoes
• 1 can (28 Oz. Can) Crushed Tomatoes
• 1 can (15 Oz. Can) Tomato Sauce
• 1 can (6 Oz. Can) Tomato Paste
• 1 cup Canned Beef Broth
To get ready, chop the onion and celery. Slice the mushrooms, mince the garlic, and process the green peppers, carrots and zucchini in a food processor until chopped finely.
Put the olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Saute the onion and garlic about 3 minutes. Add the other vegetables and heat through another 3 minutes. Add the raw meat and break up into small pieces. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a slow boil. Turn down to a simmer and simmer covered (with the cover slightly ajar to let out steam) for 2 hours, stirring every 15-20 minutes.
Serve over cooked pasta. I usually make a double batch of this and freeze dinner portions for my family.
This recipe makes about 12 cups of sauce. You can also dump all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on high for 6-8 hours with the lid left open a crack to let out steam.

-source: Thepioneerwoman.com

A New Recipe Each Week

The other night at a scrapbooking workshop I heard about a woman who is fixing a new recipe each week. I think that would be a good challenge for me. I go through stages and am not always motivated to be creative with dinners. Although I do enjoy trying new recipes quite often.

So I might start posting the recipes that we like!

New Year's Eve Early

We gathered at CCV for the family New Year's Eve party again this year. It is a lot of fun for the family - with activities for the kids and food and drinks for all ages.

It starts at 6:00 pm and the ball drops right at 8 pm. Woo hoo! What a night!

First Day of School?

This morning feels like the first day of school again! We got up early and Mason was ready to head out the door long before we had to! It was a nice start to the "New Year!"

Happy New Year!

Caravati cousins keep snowy football tradition | Richmond Times-Dispatch

Caravati cousins keep snowy football tradition | Richmond Times-Dispatch

Margaret and her DD visit

Margaret and DD come to visit over Thanksgiving weekend!

Our halloween costumes

Overnight to Monterey

My whole family was supposed to go up to Tim's place for Saturday night. It ended up being a smaller group.

Here are some photos that capture the beautiful scenery and fun we had.

Summer 2010

Click here to view these pictures larger

Recipe Sharing

I had the best time visiting my friend Margaret and her family last weekend. One of our favorite pastimes is cooking together and sharing recipes. We enjoyed our time together over this trip!

In the meantime, since I have some food blogs that I check regularly, I am going to have to start sharing more of the recipes that I find interesting.

Here is one that I bet will jumpstart my fall breakfasts!

Applesauce Spice Muffins
http://pinchmysalt.com/2006/09/10/flavors-of-fall-applesauce-spice-muffins/

Savvy Senior - "Getting inside the Donut Hole"

July 4

Savvy Senior: Getting inside the ‘donut hole’
By JIM MILLER



DEAR SAVVY SENIOR: In one of your recent columns ("What Healthcare Reform Means for Seniors") you wrote that seniors with a Medicare prescription drug plan could get a $250 rebate check when they hit the donut hole. I've just hit it! What do I need to do to get my check and how long will I have to wait? -- Need Help



DEAR NEED: One of the key benefits for seniors in the new health care reform law is improved coverage for Medicare Part D beneficiaries. Here's what you should know.

This year, seniors who have a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan are automatically eligible to receive a one-time $250 rebate check if they hit the "donut-hole" coverage gap and are not already receiving Medicare "Extra Help." Medicare expects around 4 million Part D beneficiaries will actually hit the donut hole in 2010.

The donut hole begins after you reach $2,830 in total prescription-drug spending and extends until your total drug costs for the year reach $6,440. Within that gap, you generally have to pay the bills out-of-pocket. After that, your Part D plan usually covers 95 percent of your remaining drug costs for the year.

Again, you just need to reach the donut hole to qualify for the rebate. You don't have to spend $250 within the coverage gap first. And you don't need to fill out any forms to get your check. Medicare will automatically send it when you reach the donut hole -- you should receive it within 45 days. To make sure there are no delays, you may want to call your drug plan once you've hit the donut hole, to make sure they've notified Medicare of your eligibility. If you don't get your rebate check, call Medicare at 800-633-4227.

The government also wants to warn seniors about possible con artists who may try to take advantage of the government rebate. If someone calls you claiming to need your personal information, like your Medicare or Social Security number, or bank account so they can process your Medicare rebate check, don't give it to them. It's a scam! Just hang up the phone, and call 1-800-MEDICARE to report it.

You also need to know that starting in 2011, Medicare Part D beneficiaries that hit the donut hole will receive a 50 percent discount on brand-name drugs and a seven percent discount on generic prescriptions. After that, beneficiaries will pay a smaller portion of their drug costs in the donut hole each year until 2020, when they have to pay just 25 percent of those costs.

Also starting next year, individuals who earn more than $85,000 (or $170,000 if married filing jointly) will have to pay a high-income surcharge for Part D Premiums, as they do for Part B.

Another change to be aware of is Medicare's expanded prescription drug benefit to low income seniors (this is not part of healthcare reform). Changes in the law have now made it easier for about 1 million more seniors to qualify for "Extra Help" in paying their Medicare drug coverage.

To be eligible, your annual income must be less than $16,245 for an individual and $21,855 for a married couple living together. And your assets such as stocks, bonds and bank accounts must be limited to $12,510 for singles and $25,010 for married couples. The value of your home and automobiles are excluded.

Under the old law, applicants had to include the value of life insurance policies in calculating their assets. They also had to include as part of their income money received on a regular basis from relatives and friends to help pay household expenses. Under the new law, life insurance policies are no longer counted as assets and money received to help pay household expenses is not counted as income. To find out if you qualify call Social Security at 800-772-1213 or see ssa.gov/prescriptionhelp.

IN MEMORIAM - FBYC

PATRICK J. KARN
11/8/1928 – 7/2/2010
Patrick J. Karn passed away on July 2, 1010 at St. Mary’s Hospital. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Peggy C. Karn; his sons, Patrick Jr., Michael, Jamie and Tim; his daughter, Julie Chapman; and his grandchildren, Mackenzie, Moriah, Sam, Kimber, Ian, Noah and Mason Jr.

Pat was born in Green Bay, Wisconsin where he lived until he joined the U.S. Army in 1951. He met Peggy while serving as a Lieutenant and engineer aboard a ship based near Richmond. He moved to Richmond to marry Peggy and this is where they made their home and raised their children. Pat was an entrepreneur, having been co-owner of a filling station in Green Bay and the owner of Richmond Wrecking Co. and the Dublin House Restaurant in Richmond before establishing TMS Millwork Corp. in 1969. He said the “TMS” stood for “too many sons” and they all worked in the business at one time or the other. TMS grew into a large architectural woodworking business that he directed until his retirement in 1997.



Pat and Peggy joined Fishing Bay Yacht Club in the summer of 1975 and were members for 34 years before health concerns brought about their resignation from the club early this year. Two of their children, Michael and Julie, are currently club members. Pat and Peggy eventually acquired a second home in Deltaville where they spent many happy times. Some of his favorite times were while fishing, sailing and cruising with family and friends on the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay. Pat owned many boats over the years including Whiff-N-Pouff (Columbia T-23), Hustle (Catalina 27), Spirit (Islander 32-3), Little Monster (Kiwi 24), Shearwater (Gulfstar 45), Forty Something (Nautique 43’ powerboat), numerous other powerboats and a trawler. Pat enjoyed the Green Bay Packers as well as restoring sports cars and boats. A number of the powerboats that he owned were purchased for the purpose of restoring them so that he could sell them and then buy another boat in need of restoration. He often used his powerboats to help with regattas and he was the host to the judges for the MORC East Coast and International Regattas in 1989 through 1993. Pat took famed Chesapeake Bay artist, John Barber, out several times for him to capture the Stingray races. Barber later used those race starts and FBYC boats in his art work. Pat also helped David Lee in the search for the boat that is our current Mr. Roberts and then delivered it to FBYC after it was purchased. FBYC was the recipient of the Karn family’s benevolence on many occasions, whether it was simply donating lumber to build a new boat rack or generous contributions for the new clubhouse.

The Karn family will welcome visitors at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, July 6, at St. Bridget Catholic Church, 6006 Three Chopt Road, Richmond, VA, prior to the 10 a.m. funeral service there. Interment will follow at Mt. Calvary Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Little Sisters of the Poor, 1503 Michaels Road, Richmond, VA 23229.

REQUIESCAT IN PACE

Posted by Mary Spencer on Sunday July 04, @04:30PM

What A Week!

What a week! I could not have been prepared for the trials of this week, even if I had tried. My father had a heart attack and fell and broke his hip on Monday morning. We called the rescue squad and went to St. Mary's hospital. We banded together around mom - me and my 4 brothers. Jamie came from Silver Spring even. It was a stressful, but amazing week for the Karn family.

Dad finally passed away Friday morning July 2, 2010. He was 81 years old. What an awesome man!