Monday is for Mother and "Boboti"

Rosemary

I am taking this idea from Celestial Charms  http://celestialcharms.blogspot.com/
who writes about her mother on Mondays and her father on Fridays. I really like this idea for this week, I will do the same. Thanks to "Nana" at La Table De Nana
http://latabledenana.blogspot.com/ for suggesting Celestial Charms. Nana has a wonderful photo her blog right now. Thank you so much, ladies!

Her name was "Rosemary", one of the most creative, talented and loving women I have ever known. She was very intelligent having graduated from SMU. And after all... she married my dad! (Visit me on Friday and see what a handsome fellow he was.) My mother worked in the Oceanography and Meterology Department at Texas A&M University and later the Sterling Evans Library. She loved to cook and was especially adept at preparing foods from her mother's native country, Italy. I've posted several of her recipes in the past. She and my father lived in the country of Botswana in Africa for four years and she mastered several of the local recipes. Here is one of them:

Boboti

2 lbs. ground beef

1 slice white bread

1 c. milk

2 onions, chopped

2 eggs

1 tsp. sugar

2 Tbsp. curry powder

2 Tbsp. vinegar

2 Tbsp. oil

1 grated apple

Few dried apricots

2 Tbsp. currants

     Fry onions in oil until light brown and add curry powder, salt, sugar, vinegar, ground meat, and fruit. Soak bread in milk and pour off milk which should be added to the onion and meat mixture. Add 1 beaten egg. Mix and put into casserole. Beat other egg and milk, pour over dish and bake for 30 - 40 minutes at 350 degrees. This may also be topped with mashed potatoes. Serves 4-6.

     Mother's note: This is a traditional dish of the Boer families of South Africa. This particular recipe was given to me by a South African nurse from Pretoria.

What am I supposed to do with this old lamp "top"?

This was part of a lamp from my grandmother's home. I did at one time have the whole lamp, however, we lost the rest of it in a fire. It is large and just not my "style". I am not even sure if it is a true antique or collector's item. What say you? Is this worth saving?

Hot Cereal for the "Ticker"

Hot Oat Bran Cereal

1/3 c. oat bran cereal
About 2 tbsp. dried cranberries
   Pour uncooked bran cereal into a one cup measuring cup and fill with water up to the one cup line. Add dried cranberries. Microwave until done... this morning it only took 1 1/2 minutes. Stir half-way between cooking. Watch that it does not boil over. It's a mess to clean up! Stir when done.

Add:
1/2 banana, diced
1 tbsp. or more of slivered almonds
1 tsp. Smart Balance (sometimes we use butter)
1 tbsp. sugar-free syrup
Ground cinnamon
1 packet of Splenda if you like
(Some people like to add a few fresh blueberries)

Visit Michael at Designs by Gollum for some wonderful recipes and food ideas!

http://designsbygollum.blogspot.com/

My husband grilled some wonderful chicken tonight!

David’s BBQ Sauce

3 c. apple cider vinegar
1 c. brown sugar
    Bring vinegar and brown sugar to a boil. Add spices.

2 tbsp. salt
1 tbsp. black pepper
2 ½ tsp. liquid smoke
1 ½ tsp. cayenne
1 ½ tsp. allspice
1 ½ tsp. chili powder
1 ½ tsp. onion powder
¾ tsp. garlic powder
    Simmer at low temperature for 30 minutes.

1 ½ tbsp. water
1 tbsp. cornstarch
    Mix together and add to vinegar mixture. Remove from heat and stir with a wooden spoon until mixture thickens.

Makes 1 quart

My Favorites!

Favorite Movie Line I Can’t Remember: I think someone must have said, "It is what it is", but I'm not sure who...

Favorite Movie Dancing Scene: Any movie with John Travolta

Favorite Eye Makeup Trick: Laura Mercier's eye makeup base. Can't live without it!

Favorite Makeup: Laura Mercier - buy at Sephora. It's a little cheaper there.

Favorite Expression: “Snap out of it!” or "Get a grip"... neither of which I am good at.

Favorite Place to Not Spend Money: Home... I just try to stay home somedays for a no-spend day.

Favorite Thing to Say to sons: "Come and eat!"

Favorite High School Perfume: White Shoulders

Favorite Expression for Looking for Treasures: Look around

Favorite Winter Clothing Color: Black

Favorite Summer Clothing Color: Creme

Favorite High School Beauty Tool That I Want To Try Again: Cream blush

Favorite High School Eyeliner: Very soft brown pencil

Favorite Current Eyeliner: Loreal liquid pencil - dark brown

Favorite High School Handbag: Usually bought at Ben Franklin's

Favorite Current Bag: Vera Bradley, Tous, Coach

Favorite Notebook: Spiral green notbook... almost like a diary that I have been using since 1982. I must have 25 books by now... at least!

Go to White Spray Paint http://whitespraypaint.blogspot.com/ to read Laura's posting today. She started this! And her blog is fabulous!

It's Rednesday!! - See my red??

I always have to look really hard for red in my home. I really like the color red but it is rarely used unless it is Christmas or Valentines Day. And since I am still putting Christmas away here is a lamp with a red lamp shade. It took Laura's White Spray Paint blog to motivate me and I jumped right over to It's a Very Cherry World to go into action. It's so amazing how I am influenced by my friends!
Look for some red in your life and post it for us to all to enjoy.

It's a Very Cherry World
http://www.suelovescherries.blogspot.com/