Elise is 14!

 Elise is 14!

Simple Skillet Supper

 Tried this last night and it was a hit!

Simple Skillet Supper

Ingredients

14 oz. kielbasa sausage sliced into about 1 in. slices

1 tbsp. oil olive

1/2 cup onion, diced

1/2 cup green pepper, diced

1 can pineapple chunks

1 cup rice jasmine

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. salt

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 T. soy sauce

2 T. apple cider vinegar

2 cup vegetable or turkey broth 

Instructions

In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp. oil on medium heat.

Saute kielbasa, onion, and green pepper. Cook about 5 minutes, allowing the kielbasa to brown on both sides. Remove from heat.

Add rice, pepper, salt, brown sugar, soy sauce and vinegar. Stir well until the spices are completely mixed in.

Add broth. Return to heat, turn to high, and cover with either a lid or if you don’t have a lid that fits your skillet, cover with a large piece of foil.

As soon as it comes to a boil, remove the covering and stir, turn to low, and cover again. 

Simmer on low for about 15-20 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed the liquid and is done. 

Garnish with parsley or cilantro for extra flavor, and serve.

I'm a Writer...

I AM a writer! You might say "So?". The surprise is that I am just now realizing that fact. Definition: "A writer is someone who writes regularly and consistently, someone who engages in the process." Never been published by anyone except an occasional news clip. But then I never planned to be a writer. For me, it started as a way to get my point across when no one seemed to be listening. I never planned for it to be more than that.

But here we are knee deep in the past, trying to minimize what we leave behind and I run into my writings. I guess you would call them journals. They started when I was a young mother and wife. I haven't run across the very first one I started yet but I know it is in a tub somewhere and I remember it because in it I write about asking permission to visit a friend. Who do I ask? Butch! This was what you did as a wife in the fifties! When I found that journal many years later I could not believe those words ever came out of my mouth! 

Moving on...

I know I have at least 3 journals that were designed for making entries every day. My sister-in-law Jo Brooker had these too. I haven't run across mine yet but I will. I only quit doing that because the company who made them went out of business.

And then I did find a journal I kept while taking classes at Iowa Western Community College in Atlantic Iowa. We lived in Cumberland Iowa at the time and I needed something to do so I enrolled in some classes, English Comp and  American Lit. I took others too but these were the two that touched my heart. I didn't get a degree but I did get an education.

I may find more as I keep digging. As you already know the Internet changed everything and in 2002 I started a blog. They are still in existence of course and can be found at www.brooker3.blogspot.com. I cannot even imagine how long it would take to read them all. My soul purpose has always  been to express myself and it remains so today. I am flattered when someone reads it but the choice is always yours. When you start your journal/blog lead me to it and I will always read it.

In Your 80's...

 It does something to you being in your 80-decade. My friend Mickey went through all of her pictures distributing some and disposing of the rest and after mulling it over she is on the right track. I have 3 tubs of photos and other memorabilia. And that would take someone many hours to go through and the many decisions connected with that could be overwhelming. So I decided to tackle the process.  I have been saying that for many years but today I took action. I am one tub down and being ruthless.

I found some things I cannot yet part with. 1. Christmas letters from 1985 to 1999 when I started doing them on the computer. 2. My baby shoes. 3. 40th Anniversary scrap books(2) I made at that time.

Jason brought me a Mother's Day gift that knocked my socks off! It is something I have looked at, liked, and longed for but too tight to buy.

Now Jason has the ability to make one of these himself and he did add some features. He bought it from a friend and got the friend discount. And it has lit a fire under him to do some of this art that will be "all Jason". I have been waiting for him to do this!

While Jason was here he looked at the scrapbooks I had made around the time of our 40th anniversary and he said they needed to be kept. And they will. 

Starting the process of deciding what is left after I/we are gone has become a new project and I am excited about it. I am looking forward to the extra space it will provide. I like to be a minimalist and when the clutter bit starts to take hold, it lights a fire under me!

On my walk today I took some trail and tree pics but they can wait till the next post.

My baby shoes...