The end 6 Jan 10:13 PM (3 months ago)

...about 25 years ago, 50 of my closest friends and family, who had been on an

e-mail forum with me, sent in recipes in different categories and we compiled a cookbook.

I decided to count those down!

Why?

because one night I was looking thru the cookbook and I said, "I should make every recipe in here for my blog."

The Handyman/Mayor, who thinks he knows me better than I know myself, said "you'll never EVER do that."

Well, maybe I will! Maybe I'll show him!

Which brings us to recipes #355, 356, 357 and 358

THE END!

I did it! I showed him, didn't I?

What exactly did I show him?

Hmmmm--well, lots of good food and fond memories for a couple things.

And remember how I said that thinking of stories was so hard to come by and I struggled with it after recalling so many of them thru the years?

Well--now tons more memories come flooding back into my brain. I have so many stories left to tell!

I am relieved and sad... but more about that later.

For now, here are the last four recipes of the whole cookbook.

I held these until the very end for my own reasons. They are from

Traci Marques--because her's was the very first recipe I made for the cookbook.

Shelly Noble--because she has made me beautiful 'cookbooks' of all these blog posts from Shutterfly

and

Barbarba Brown, who typed up and printed the original Friday Friend Cookbook.

(she was the editor and chief)

Let's start with a little appetizer from our Editor Barb.

Barb and her husband Doug.

I was going to say Barb and her better half, but everyone knows that Barb is the better.

(sorry Doug)

All of Barb's recipes can be found if you click here

Do it now!

And then we'll also have some beverages to go with our appetizers,

Traci Marques' champagne punch.

(and yes, we had this entire menu as our meal--it was great)

Traci and her husband Larry. She too is the better half.

Larry has to know that, right?

LOL

All of Traci's recipes can be found by clicking here--right here!

Do it now!

And the main dish--spaghetti from Shelly Noble!

Which in a way is fitting because we have a total of 26 spaghetti sauces in the Friday Friend Cookbook Countdown.

Twenty-Six!

I begged the Friday Friends to turn in their spaghetti sauce recipes. I've always found it funny, how you can take the same basic ingredients, and they all turn out so different. And they did. All were good--but how can you go wrong with pasta and sauce?

But Rich (I just said his name! I've called him the Handyman or the Mayor during the past 11 years of this project.) and I do have a couple that stand out as the best for us.

We don't feel we are prejudiced, but his mom's and my mom's spaghetti are it for us!

And finally, Lorin and his better half Shelly!

I got that right, didn't I?

And you can find Shelly's entries right here--click now.

And to end this fabulous meal we have some of Traci's

Saltine Cracker Cookies

(which I call Toffee with a Twist)

Wa-Lah!

I'm done.

No more!

I can't even think of a funny story right now.

I think I deserve a prize!

That was a lot of stuff to make-- and a lot of $$$ just to prove my husband wrong.

It's only taken me 11 years. My first post was in September of 2013.

I wrote this:

I know that my blog has an interesting name. A name/title that no one gets, because there are no 'friends' writing posts every week. There is only me.

Long before I knew what a blog was, I had a group e-mail forum that included my friends from near and far...and originally I would ask them a question on Fridays, cut and paste their answers and share with all.

So there is the history of my name. Well, not MY name, (that would be 1950's Debbie Reynolds popularity) but rather my blog's name. It started as a joke, when I thought that only they would be reading this blog. Now, over 800 posts later, a few other people do read my blog.
It's nice to have made other friends thru this. But too late to change my name (my blog's name ) to something catchy like " Debbie's Dishes" or "Dining with Debbie" or even "Debbie is a hot dish". Okay, we can leave the last one out, but you know what I mean....you are stuck with the Friday Friends.

I have about 50 of my closest friends on the e-mail forum. At first, most of them didn't know each other, (they knew me) but over the past 15 years, we've answered and shared silly--and serious---questions, exchanged Secret Santa Christmas gifts, had a dieting contest in which we paid a $1 a week and that money went to a scholarship fund for a Friday Friends son's memorial scholarship, and we went on a great vacation for my 52 birthday.
AND, we contributed recipes for a cookbook.

I was looking at the cookbook the other night and I said, "I should make every recipe in here for my blog."
The Handyman--who knows me better than I know myself (this happened to be a question on the Friday Friend forum once---does your spouse/partner know you better than you know yourself? said, "you'll never, EVER do that."

The reason I said I was relieved and sad at the same time is because

1) Relieved that I hit a goal

2) Sad because it was fun to 'remember' all those fun times and write them down. No what'll I do?

3) Sad because a few of my FRIDAY friends and family are no longer with us. But what great and fun memories I have.

I'm going to pick a new goal.

I think I mentioned that I stole my mother-in-law's recipe box when she passed, and we were cleaning out her home?

She has index cards with menus on them!

Maybe I'll make the Mayor some of his childhood menus!

They were written back in the day of four:

1. main dish/meat

2. veggie

3. a starch -- potatoes, rice or noodles with every meal.

and

4. a salad. My MIL would write 'green' salad or 'tossed' salad

I wonder if she had a difference.?

I am meandering now....

but this is it--I'm going to recreate and modernize my mother-in-law's menus 😁😁

As I've said before---this feels like I'm saying goodbye to my friends.
I am so sappy sentimental!!

It's ridiculous.

Anyway--this has been fun!

Bye!

Friday Friend recipe #354 Crock Pot Stew 14 May 2024 12:19 AM (11 months ago)

...about 24 years ago, 50 of my closest friends and family, who had been on an

e-mail forum with me, sent in recipes in different categories and we compiled a cookbook.

I decided to count those down!

Why?

because one night I was looking thru the cookbook and I said, "I should make every recipe in here for my blog."

The Handyman/Mayor, who thinks he knows me better than I know myself, said "you'll never EVER do that."

Well, maybe I will! Maybe I'll show him!

Which brings us to recipe #354

(ONLY FOUR MORE TO GO!!)

Someone's Crock Pot Beef Stew.

I say someone BECAUSE they didn't put their name. I have a feeling it was either Barb or my mom.

Whoever it was, it was really good.

It's not very 'soupy"

Rich likes his stews soupy, but I like mine not soupy just brothy.

So, how do I write a story about "Anonymous"?

What do I say?

Let me just share with you this anonymous person who keeps jumping in front of my photos! And has for the past 47 years.

It's like he never hears, 'stop! I'm going to take a picture.'

He just keeps on going, ruining the beauty of the scenery.

For example, here on the Columbia River--a beautiful sunset and I want to capture it with the lighthouse too.

Look at him! Whoever he is!

I don't know if you can see this, but he has a camera or phone too. His picture is probably perfect.

BECAUSE no one is standing in front of him!

And my tree. Where the Wallowa River empties into Wallowa Lake.

I loved this tree--and it is gone now. Felled by a storm, it no longer stands.

Yes, I have a gazillion photos of this tree throughout the years, in all kinds of weather and seasons, but the point is--he knows I always take a picture and still gets in front of me!

Okay, we were hiking and perhaps I'll give it to him that I just couldn't keep up and needed a 'breather' but still....

(do you think he's shading his eyes looking towards our route? Like Lewis from Lewis and Clark--one of our more famous arguments was about Lewis and Clark. No kidding!! Or do you think he's putting his hands on his head in frustration that I am so slow?)

Again, back at the lake.

It's such a pretty place to walk and take nature photos.

BUT NO!

I get the Handyman's backside!!

I told you; he either can't hear "stop" or doesn't understand what it means.

Okay, this one-- he didn't actually get in front of me, I was just taking pictures of the backyard and he was fixing the roof of the patio.

I thought it apropos because he is as ass for getting in front of all my photos.

(cue laughter from the crowd!!)

Back to the Lake/cabin. I wanted to take a picture of the dear, but with Rich and the dog, it wasn't happening.

Checking to see the last sighting of bear or mountain lions.

Okay, fun fact.

I really do know who this is.

I was going to write the love of my life (which he really is) but I hate, HATE when that is splashed all over Facebook/social media.

PDA are not for me.

We get it people--you love your spouse (sigh). You should!

We get that they are your everything (sigh). They should be.

We get that you can't live without them (sigh).

Wow! I'm reading those lines and it's kind of how I feel about him.

Who'd a thought?

Please do not tell him--he doesn't read this blog so I'm safe.

He really is a good guy,

He puts up with me, knows how weird I am and still likes me.

He might, in his words, know me better than I know myself!

He never thought I'd do this countdown tho--I did it to spite him and I'm going to hold it over his head for a long, long time.

Now he's reduced to making dumb jokes about "oooh, I should have challenged you to do blah blah blah (could be a bit risqué) 🙄🙄"

Like I said, he really is a good guy,

even if he can't hear the words, stop I'm going to take a picture.

And that my friends is recipe #354!

I have 4 more to go!

I'm gonna get this done.

I really am.

Four more!!

It's only taken me 10 years to complete.

That's 36 recipes per year--so I made an average of 3 recipes a month from the Friday Friend Cookbook.

Who are the last 4 recipe contributors?

Who have I not said "good-bye" to?

The suspense is killing you, right?!

Let's see......

(and for your viewing pleasure… More of the mayors backside 🤣)

(I could go on forever)

(but I won’t… It just seems like I did)

Friday Friend recipe #353 Chipped Beef and Chicken 9 May 2024 9:13 PM (11 months ago)

and you know all the whys and wherefores of this countdown, right? Homemade cookbook, friends contributed, Handyman said I couldn't/wouldn't do it, I'll show him, yadda yadda yadda....

...and the rest is cookbook history!

Just remember, the countdown is not all about pretty food and food design---it's about the people and the stories.

And (the most important thing) proving my husband wrong--and that I can and WILL make every recipe in this cookbook.

Which brings me to recipe #353

My mom's Chipped Beef and Chicken

Loved my mom with all my heart---but I don't think I'll be making Chipped Beef and Chicken again.

Just sayin'

I had to have the baked potato because my mom said the sauce was good with it.

It was.

I just had to show you my chipped beef--it comes in a jar and is round.

Who the heck still buys this?

Me, I guess.

(and it is not cheap--considering)

This is my mom's 51st recipe in the cookbook countdown.

(you can check them all out here--just click)

You know how I feel about ending this cookbook countdown, right?

It's extremely satisfying to have cooked 353 recipes--358 when I'm finished--but at the same time I feel as if I'm saying goodbye to old friends and family. For good!

Weird, I know.

And on the other hand, what more can I say about my mom?

She's been gone (really gone) for 10 years, so it's hard to have a new story 😀 (sorry, but she would think that was funny)

I've gone from telling you about my parents living on the same street when they were growing up.

started first grade together

had their first kiss together

first everything together!

To their old age together (altho they never really got old, they passed away in their late 70's) throughout the 50 recipes and stories of her.

One thing that was always consistent in their 50+ years together is that they had fun.

My mom more so than my dad--she was good for him.

She was the most positive, accepting, kind person I have ever known, and she drug him along for the fun--and he followed, because he was head over heels in love with her--always had been.

I was going thru an old box of "stuff to throw away most likely" and I came across this email which I had sent to a couple of my friends.

It was dated April 17th, 2006

and the subject was: Easter Fun

On Saturday night after we had had a bbq, we played cards with my mom and dad. It was fun. We played a few games thru-out the Easter Weekend...but that was not the "fun."

My dad's neck was hurting while we were playing cards and I guess they have been using this muscle medicine similar to Ben Gay, that you spray on.

It comes in a little spray bottle.

So, my mom runs upstairs to get the spray medicine out of their suitcase. Comes downstairs and sprays it on my dad's neck. We continue to play cards, but my dad says, 'this medicine isn't feeling the same as it usually does. He says it usually gets icy cold and then warms up and feels really good on his sore muscles.

He asks if the bottle might be getting old. My mom says no, it's a brand-new bottle.

We continue to play cards and we have a nice time.

When the card game was over and we were sitting around the table chatting, Rich reaches over and grabs the bottle just to look at it---he turns it around and he and I both notice at the same time the bottle says "PAUL MITCHELL" ...and I'm wondering when Paul Mitchell hair products started making medicine.

So, we both say....mom! This is HAIRSPRAY!!!

She just grabbed the first think that looked familiar to her.

hahahaha--and my dad was wondering why the hell it wasn't working.

We laughed so hard!

I went to bed laughing and woke up laughing.

And then I thought---these are the genes that have passed to my children!

And that sums up my parents' marriage!

And that my friends is recipe #353!

I have 5 more to go!

I'm gonna get this done.

I really am.

Five more!!

Friday Friend recipe #352 3 Mar 2024 11:24 PM (last year)

Making my way thru my Friday Friend Cookbook, one recipe at a time.

What is the Friday Friend cookbook? I once had about 50 of my closest friends and family (from all over the county) on an e-mail forum which I called the Friday Friends. At first, most of them didn't know each other, (they knew me) but over the past 24 years, we've answered and shared silly--and serious---questions, exchanged Secret Santa Christmas gifts, had a dieting contest in which we paid a $1 a week and that money went to a scholarship fund for a Friday Friends son's memorial scholarship, and we went on a great vacation for my 52 birthday. (plus, so much more....)

AND we contributed recipes for a cookbook.

I was looking at the cookbook the other night and I said, "I should make every recipe in here for my blog."
The Handyman--who thinks he knows me better than I know myself (this happened to be a question on the Friday Friend forum once---does your spouse/partner know you better than you know yourself? Said, "you'll never, EVER do that."
WELL---maybe I'll show him! Maybe I will.

Which brings me to recipes 352.

My favorite mother-in-law's

Chicken in Gravy

If you've been paying attention, you might think this looks a lot like the recipe I just made--Barb's Australian Breasts in Wine Sauce.

It is almost exactly the same. If I had been paying attention, I would have spaced these further apart, but I am down to 6.

SIX! 6! Six! Recipes to make and post.

So, there isn't much room to space anymore. (as if YOU cared anyway 😉)

The difference is there are mushrooms added here and not as much wine and no bacon or almonds.

This is my mother-in-law's 15th recipe in the countdown--and her last.

My mother-in-law was alive and well when I began this countdown 10 years ago, but she passed away 4 years ago— March 16, 2020.

I adored her and she adored me.

I've said it before and I’ll say it again… I am so lucky. I feel like I belong to the Handyman's family. Like I am one of them.

I’m not so sure they feel the same way 🤣

Anyway, let me tell you her last story--oh and if you want to see all her recipes and read all her stories, just click here. Right here.

This is my mother-in-law, Teresa Marie Solaro-Stone- Belcher and my father-in-law, Philip Belcher.

In June 2004, my mother had a knee replacement. So, I went up to our hometowns (the Tri-Cities, Washington.) To help my mom.

After I had been there a few days, I called my in-laws.

My father-in-law, Phil answered, so I asked him how it was and told him I would be coming out for a visit on Friday around 10 AM. He said OK.

On Friday at 10 AM… I am late — but was doing stuff for my mom. I called my in-laws in this time my mother-in-law answers.

I say... hi I’m not gonna be there until 11 so don’t worry about me.

She says... OK. I am so excited to see you!!

I called back about 15 minutes later to ask her something about my mom. And my adored mother-in-law says, oh, are you there with your parents?

I say… Yes

She says… I am so glad you were able to come up to me with your parents.

I say… Me too.

She says… Guess who’s coming to visit us today?!

I say… uh, me?

She says (pausing a bit) you’re coming to visit today?

I say…Uh, yeah.

She says… Oh, good. Guess who else is coming to visit around 11?

I Say… um, me?

She says…(pausing again) did you just call us an hour ago and tell Phil you would be here at 11?

Hi, say… Yes

She says… That, damn Phil!! He can’t get anything straight!! (she’s yelling at Phil now) Phil, it’s Debbie who’s coming to visit. Not Chris!! So you can stop hiding. (Chris is Rich’s ex-wife. 🤣) but now Debbie, I’m really excited to see you.

By this time, I was laughing so hard-- so hard!! I think I had fallen on my bedroom floor. My parents came rushing in to see… My mom hobbling with her new knee and my dad right behind her, to see what was the matter… I was laughing so hard.

I was laughing at my favorite mother-in-law, who was trying to backpedal and telling me why she would’ve been excited to see my husband's ex-wife.

(Chris had had that stomach bypass thing and had lost 70 pounds and my mother-in-law was looking forward to seeing her)

They remained friendly with Chris until they died. And it’s OK. We’re friendly too, the Handyman and I. With Chris, his ex-wife.

Laughing at my in-laws and their antics that day was such a stress reliever for me. It was great!

I always loved laughing with them.

And now---no more recipes from her. At least in the Friday Friend Cookbook countdown. (did I tell you that I took her recipe boxes when she died? Don't tell her daughters!)

It makes me sad to say goodbye.

This photo below is in front of my in-law's house in Prosser, WA.

When she turned in the recipe for Chicken in Gravy, she lived in this house.

I'm pretty sure that Phil knew who he was waving goodbye to. 😄

Love this whole extra family I got when I married Rich.

I knew he was good for something.

And that my friends is recipe #352!

I have 6 more to go!

I'm gonna get this done.

I really am.

Friday Friend Recipes #'s 350 and 351 28 Feb 2024 1:15 AM (last year)

...about 24 years ago, 50 of my closest friends and family, who had been on an

e-mail forum with me, sent in recipes in different categories and we compiled a cookbook.

I decided to count those down!

Why?

because one night I was looking thru the cookbook and I said, "I should make every recipe in here for my blog."

The Handyman/Mayor, who thinks he knows me better than I know myself, said "you'll never EVER do that."

Well, maybe I will! Maybe I'll show him!

Which brings us to why I have a photo of Barb here.

Well--it's Barb's last appearance in the Friday Friend Cookbook Countdown. because

I ONLY HAVE 7 LEFT---SEVEN after this.

Barb has been there since the beginning--she typed out the original.

Anyway---let's say goodbye (it always makes me so sad) to Barbara Brown.

(okay, there is a chance she might make a reappearance in the Grand Finale` but this is the last post/story about her)

And we have recipes #350 and 351

Barb's Australian Breasts in Wine and

Mexican Chicken Casserole

There it is! There is the original typed Friday Friend Cookbook in the upper left.

It is worn and well used. Most pages splattered--all written in.

Well loved.

Australian Breasts in Wine

(the Handyman did ask how we were going to get some chicken from Australia)

So, that my friends are 64 and 65 of Barbs recipes.

It's been hard towards the end to think of a 65th story (and a 49th story, etc.)

But I did it! I did it.

If you want to see all her recipes (and I'm sure you do) click here.

There are great memories of great friends!

How did our friendship begin?

You might remember that she was friends with my husband first. Very good friends.

They were career colleagues.

I will give you her version and then mine.

Because I have the memories saved from the Friday Friend Forum times.

Barb's exact words... (she was writing to me)

The first time we 'met' was in Konocti (near Ukiah, CA) when Rich and I went to our very first meetings as brand-new store managers. Actually, I don't remember being introduced, but I vaguely remember a woman (that would be you) standing quietly by Rich's side that evening when some of us were being rowdy and playing pool.

I do remember Rich as he was seated right next to me at that first manager's meeting, and I don't think he said one word to me the whole time.

So, we made up for that at all the rest of the meetings in our JCP career--to the point that they had to keep us separated, because we had too much fun.

But the first time I REALLY met you was at another meeting in Reno. The store managers had gone to Susanville, and then the "males" stayed to play golf. Rich let me and Ceci driver his car back to Reno and he got a ride with someone else later. Anyway, Debbie and the 3 boys had driven from Winnemucca for some reason, and we met them in the lobby of the hotel.

I remember staring at Luke and fascinated that he looked exactly like his dad (at that time, he must have been about 10) And then Debbie saw us and asked us to give Rich a card that she had for him---probably something all mushy--and that was that!

When they finally moved to Los Banos, CA is when we finally got to know (and love) Debbie. Well...I know that Doug does.

Me/Debbie again--

YES! Doug does love me. And so does Barb, even tho that is a word she finds hard to use.

Doug and me.

And these are the troublemakers below--the ones they had to separate at manager meetings.

Barb and Rich.

You know, they are not huggers either and it's weird, but I have tons of pictures when he has his arm around her.

Like I said, weird.

Now for my side of the story (taken from the same Friday Friend Forum files)

I first met Barbara Brown at the JCPenney meeting at Clear Lake, CA

And then I did run into her at the Peppermill Casino in Reno, while trying to deliver a mushy love note to Rich with my three little boys in tow. It was very intimidating meeting two career ladies, who were dressed in business attire and then me in jeans and a T-shirt and snotty nosed kids, but I had wanted to surprise him with a mushy note. (I'm romantic like that. hahaha)

But the first GREAT memory I have of Barb was when we went to their house in Monterey for the weekend.

We were pulling into the driveway, and I was wishing I were someone else (someone with much more personality and good looks) and she comes running outside of the house laughing and waving her arms! (It's how she usually is--laughing). She was so happy because she had won the bet--they made a bet on what time we would arrive. That set the tone for this very good, very long friendship with the Browns.

Everything is always a game.

Now... I also had asked her daughter Kim the exact same question (I asked all the Friday Friends at the time)

and this is what Kim said:

Oh jeez, you expect me to go back to when I was 6 or 7 years old and remember How I met you? I don't! But I think it was when you and your family came to stay with us in Monterey for the weekend. I had to play with the boys while the adults played games all weekend long. From the times I do remember, you seemed a little reserved to me, and not as "vulgar", per say, as Mom, Dad and Rich were.

Okay,,, me/debbie again.

There you have it!

Not as VULGAR!

HA!

And it is proven by this photo below.

Check out innocent me---just holding my golf club, looking adoringly at my husband.

And then look at the rest of them.

Vulgar!

Tasteless, crass and unrefined there were.

You can only imagine what they were saying. Look how the guys are holding their clubs! Tawdry!

And look at Barb---holding Doug's---

(shame shame)

And that's my story!

Innocent me. Reserved me.

The me who thinks we need to make some more memories!

Goodbye Barb.

(my heart is breaking just a little bit.)

BUT

seven

ONLY

SEVEN

more recipes to go.

Friday friend recipe number 349… Theda's Easy Chicken 19 Feb 2024 6:45 AM (last year)

and you know all the whys and wherefores of this countdown, right? Homemade cookbook, friends contributed, Handyman said I couldn't/wouldn't do it, I'll show him, yadda yadda yadda....

...and the rest is cookbook history!

Just remember, the countdown is not all about pretty food and food design---it's about the people and the stories.

And (the most important thing) proving my husband wrong--and that I can and WILL make every recipe in this cookbook.

Which brings me to recipe #349

Theda's Easy Chicken

This is Theda's 19 appearance in the Cookbook Countdown.

You can check out all her recipes and my stories about her by clicking

here. Go ahead--click here.

Now for the sad part--this is Theda's last recipe. And remember how I always complain about not having any more stories about my friends? Well, all of the sudden--I have TONS of her that I want to tell.

Tons!!

But first, here are some photos of us this past summer (June 2023) when we met at our cabin for a retreat. A Family Tree/Ancestry retreat.

Why? Because we might be a bit nerdy. But honestly, we are just really into Family History. And I wanted her to show me all she has done and how she keeps track of things. She's much mo betta than me 😁

when it comes to technology, researching and the organizing of files and photos on the computer.

She's got quite the complicated family history, but I know it all and I love to hear her stories and see all she has found out as she tries to uncomplicate some things.

We had the best time--we visited cemeteries (to find ancestors) and old neighborhoods and went thru notebooks and family ledgers, Letters, yearbooks, old newspapers and told stories and looked thru memorabilia.

It was a great retreat!

But again--I am sad to be 'ending' her story in the Friday Friend Cookbook Countdown.

It's like a little death.

Okay, I'm being a bit dramatic.

But all the memories I won't get to write about!

I mean I was there with her, trying to ditch work when we were 16 (we both worked at Kentucky Fried Chicken), and she called (we had to find a phone booth) and told our boss that we were stranded at Sacajawea Park because her mom had dropped us off on her way to Walla Walla to get her uncle's teeth and she hadn't come back yet.

Seriously have you ever heard a better fake excuse?!

It was the greatest of all fake excuses for calling into work ever!

To get her uncle's teeth---hahahaha!!

The truth was---we were with BOYS and having a fun picnic at Sacajawea Park in Pasco, Washington. We were playing games--Frisbee, and all of the sudden we look up and there is our boss driving in --he had come to get us, to go to work. He thought he was helping, rescuing...since we were stranded and all.

One time we snuck out of our houses at night to go see the movie Carrie with boys--the same boys we were playing frisbee with in Sacajawea Park--Danny and Wayne.

She had to sneak her dog Fifi (yes, Fifi was a poodle) out too, so that Fifi didn't wake her mom. This was back when all the movies and showings at 5, 7, 9 and 11.

We went to the 11pm one.

Fifi stayed in the car.

Theda's mom woke up. Theda's mom called the police. Police called my house and woke up my grandparents (my parents were in Hawaii and my grandparents were staying at my house). Police called Danny and Wayne's parents.

We ate popcorn and milk duds and red vines and chocolate covered peanuts and drank cokes...and watched Carrie.

Fifi stayed in the car.

When we drove up to Theda's house at 2am, the lights were on, cars in the driveway.

We were BUSTED!!

Theda is my partner in crime...we committed a felony together.

I got a speeding ticket. She went to court with me. I wanted to get the ticket reduced. While the judge was busy calling up other defendants, we began to clean out our purses. We were 17, so...???

Theda was done with her purse before I was---they called my name, but I was in the middle of purse cleaning! I looked at her and raised my eyebrows, she shrugged and walked forward and got "my sentence". By the way, she DID NOT get my ticket reduced.

Anyway--it is a FELONY to impersonate another person to a judge.

Who knew?!

We never did get caught for impersonation, but my parents did find out about my speeding ticket.

You might be able to pull one over on the old judge, but not the old parents!

I haven't even got to the "she taught me everything I ever needed to know about sex" story!

The one where she illustrated with a Kleenex box and a tennis shoe.

(we were 16 and not quite as savvy in the 1970's as teenagers are today)

But when she showed me, the Kleenex box was on top, and I was confused for years.

The point is, tho, that I could go on forever and ever! And I'm sad that I can't. She only turned in 19 recipes and this is it!

Oh...the chicken? Yeah, it's good. And Easy--hence the name. But again--what do you think this is, a recipe countdown or something. You want info on the recipe?!

It was good Okay!

I am so lucky to have her as a life-long friend.

Blessed is more like it.

Here's to many more adventures Theda--funny though how it went from committing felonies to strolling thru cemeteries.

In the blink of an eye.

Look how close I am!

2023 will be the year!!

Will it really tho?

(I'm slow going) (soooo slow)

But maybe, I am feeling the challenge!

That above ꜛ

I copied and pasted it from my last post. 😕

As you might have guessed, it won't be a goal that I'll meet this year. BUT--January? You betcha!

Oh my gosh! Not even January--it is now the middle of February 2024!

But the good news is--- this is recipe 349 out of 358!

9 more to go!!

Maybe it's taking me so long because I don't want it to end?

Friday friend recipe number 348 27 Dec 2023 11:18 PM (last year)

Making my way thru my Friday Friend Cookbook, one recipe at a time.

What is the Friday Friend cookbook? I once had about 50 of my closest friends and family (from all over the county) on an e-mail forum which I called the Friday Friends. At first, most of them didn't know each other, (they knew me) but over the past 21 years, we've answered and shared silly--and serious---questions, exchanged Secret Santa Christmas gifts, had a dieting contest in which we paid a $1 a week and that money went to a scholarship fund for a Friday Friends son's memorial scholarship, and we went on a great vacation for my 52 birthday. (plus, so much more....)

AND we contributed recipes for a cookbook.

Which brings me to recipes 348.

Pollo En Mole Verde

This is a really good green sauce to put over chicken or anything at all.

I had some leftover and put it in a jar in my fridge and used it over other meats and I did put it on my rice. It's really good.

I got this recipe from an old friend, Letty Rodriguez, whom I have lost touch with--which is very odd for me. I am a keeper of friends. I've only lost contact with a couple of people in my 64+ years on this planet.

This friend group below (the one I'm showcasing even though they have nothing to do with this recipe ) is very important to me-- I will never lose touch with them, altho we aren't as close as we used to be--for a good many years we did everything together (one example, every Friday at 10am, coffee at one of the local coffee shops, then lunch, then cards in the afternoon.--We were like the Yayas from Secrets of the YaYa Sisterhood, but we were more like Yoyos 😁), then time and life happened, as it does, and we slowly stopped doing everything together. Kids grew, jobs changed, people moved.... life happened.

We are still great, great friends, we just don't see each other as often. Isn't it funny how that happens in life?

Oh, sure, tell me you are great friends with everyone in your past, and nothing has ever changed that!

I love these friends!

Neither, snow, nor rain, nor heat nor dark of night will keep me from them.

Just some time, distance and lifestyle changes is all.

Photo from left to right

standing: Mitzi (who moved away to Minnesota 9 years ago) Lisa, April, Cindy (who moved away to Colorado 3 years ago)

sitting: Gina (has dual citizenship, Idaho where they have a 2nd home and here in Nevada), Shelly (who moved to Idaho 2 years ago), Me and Julie.

Whenever we had a dinner, or a get-together, we would do a group photo.

This was in April's backyard--her husband was building a shop (background)

We had a pajama birthday party at Lake Tahoe when we went to the Shakespeare Festival at Sand Harbor.

For some reason Mitzi forgot to pack underwear and had to go commando all weekend.

Ahhh---the things we remember!

She also said, "I can't wait till Debbie dies and we can read her journals".

I think this was a compliment that I was keeping track of our lives and not a wish/threat for my death.

I hope so anyway.

It's fun to see the hairstyle (and color) changes over the years!

Super bowl parties at Shelly's were always a big thing! One time, Cindy won the football pool every quarter. We always wanted to take her gambling with us after that.

(that is, if any of us went gambling. When you live in Nevada, that's usually the last thing you want to do!)

Not sure why I am giving the finger. It had to be an accident!

There are 17 kids between us all--- we went thru a lot of ups and downs with them all.

Now there are 29 grandchildren (so far) and this time around, we get to have all the fun with them and not the stress and worry.

Right? RIGHT?

Christmas was always a fun time--GIFT EXCHANGE from friends who knew you well was always a blast.

(sometimes girlfriend gifts are better than husband gifts--shhh, don't tell)

For a while there, someone's kid was always graduating (or getting married), and we had many parties to go to.

April was staring in a community theater play--Arsenic and Old Lace. Or maybe she was turning 50 here. And her husband bought her a cemetery plot for her birthday.

(this is not a joke--but it was funny)

And one of us got married! Gina! It was Gina.

Here we are with all of our husbands.

Gina's new husband, Mark looks so happy--but I'm sure he was wondering what he got himself in to. Not with Gina, but with us!

(also Mitzi was 8 3/4 months pregnant here)

And then--just us.

I think we were heading out to dinner one evening.

We did lots of diners--lots of lunches.

Food and friends--they go together somehow.

You laugh at lot over a meal with friends and I loved laughing with these women.

We still do whenever we get together--even if it's not as often as it was.

I 💖these people!

So, friends, My friends! This is recipe #348 out of 361.

Look how close I am!

2023 will be the year!!

Will it really tho?

(I'm slow going) (soooo slow)

But maybe, I am feeling the challenge!

That above ꜛ I copied and pasted it from my last post.

As you might have guessed, it won't be a goal that I'll meet this year. BUT--January? You betcha!

And the extra special good news is---that again I have counted wrong and only have 358 in the cookbook, SO only 10 more to go after this!!

Ten! 10!

Wow!

I never went in a linear fashion--but jumped all over the place, so tonight when I was mapping out how many more to make and the timeline of when I should make them, etc. I only had 358 in the cookbook.

I've counted again, and again and again.

10 more to go!

Friday Friend Recipes #345, 346, 347, Barb's Chicken Penne, Cheese Chicken Enchiladas and Easy Oven Lasagna. 8 Dec 2023 6:42 PM (last year)

I must get this done! At least to prove something to myself if not the Handyman...

because...

...about 23 years ago, 50 of my closest friends and family, who had been on an

e-mail forum with me, sent in recipes in different categories and we compiled a cookbook.

I decided to count those down!

Why?

because one night I was looking thru the cookbook and I said, "I should make every recipe in here for my blog."

The Handyman/Mayor, who thinks he knows me better than I know myself, said "you'll never EVER do that."

Well, maybe I will! Maybe I'll show him!

Which brings us to recipes #345, 346 and 347

Barb's Chicken Penne di Genoa

Cheese Chicken Enchiladas

and

Easy Oven Lasagna

(and please remember--I'm NOT a food photographer. And it's not about the photos but about the friends.)

Pasta is my friend. My heart's friend anyway--- not my thighs friend OR not my literal heart's friend---but my emotional heart's friend.

Pasta is my emotional support food!!

Yeah, that's it.

Moving on to some cheesy chicken enchiladas.

So... as you know, the Handyman had a heart attack in March, and he's been eating a pretty good diet since then. Mostly chicken, beef once a week, more salads, getting more exercise, etc.

But he sees the word chicken in this recipe and thinks it's fair game!

It's not Handyman--it's not.

So,

thanks Barb--- his bad eating habits for the evening are on your shoulders.

It's really hard when you are not a food photographer--to take food photos in the evening on a cold winter's night.

Really hard.

But you know what wasn't hard? Eating this lasagna. It was yummy and went down really easy.

There are 62 posts with Barb's recipes (you can click here to check them out) but since there are 2 and sometimes 3 (like today) recipes on each post, there is not telling how many recipes you are going to end up with.

So, imagine trying to come up with 62 or more stories about Barb!

It's impossible!

So, I was looking thru some old FF Forum correspondence and saw this, from Barb's family. I had asked what everyone was doing for Christmas.

Christmas 2004

From Mike Erovick, Barb's son:

This year I shall spend Christmas alone. Thanks for depressing me.

From Kim Brown, Barb's daughter (who was working at Disney World in Orlando at the time):

I'll be working 12-8. And constantly asking, "would you like a pretzel/turkey leg to go with your holiday beer?" Merry Christmas Everyone!

And from Barb herself, who was working at Walgreens at the time:

I will be working 9 til 5.

Joy to the World.

DO NOT feel too bad for any of them. They all worked on purpose and then got together for "after Christmas."

Mike would give me a bad time no matter what I had asked.

Kim LOVED working at Disney World--a dream come true for her.

And Barb? Barb began working at Walgreens part-time for something to do after she retired. AND since she and Doug (who must have been golfing and didn't answer me) didn't have any kids at home, VOLUNTEERED to work Christmas Eve and Christmas day, so someone else could stay home with their children.

*********************

You know... after 62 posts of Barb--and not having seen Barb in person for a few years now--- I don't have many photos that are new or unseen on this blog. So sometimes I stalk her Facebook page to steal a photo or two.

I've had good luck in the past doing this.

But now...all I can find are pics like this:

😍😍😍

It's a good thing! Fun to see her enjoying her cute as can be granddaughter!

So, friends, My friends! These are recipes #345, 346 and 347 out of 361.

Look how close I am!

2023 will be the year!!

Will it really tho?

(I'm slow going) (soooo slow)

But maybe, I am feeling the challenge!

Friday friend recipe #344 -- Gloria's Meatballs (spaghetti sauce #25) 5 Dec 2023 12:16 AM (last year)

and you know all the whys and wherefores of this countdown, right? Homemade cookbook, friends contributed, Handyman said I couldn't/wouldn't do it, I'll show him, yadda yadda yadda....

...and the rest is cookbook history!

Just remember, the countdown is not all about pretty food and food design---it's about the people and the stories.

And (the most important thing) proving my husband wrong--and that I can and WILL make every recipe in this cookbook.

Which brings me to recipe #344

Adria's Spaghetti

And her mother-in-law's meatballs

(This is also Spaghetti Sauce #25)

You all know I have an affinity for spaghetti. And meatballs are just icing on the top. Or meatball on the top. Or whatever.

Sometimes when we go to Olive Garden, I will order the spaghetti and meatballs. It's just so--good.

This recipe is good too.

I always make a cookbook countdown recipe when we go to the cabin in the fall. I can tell by the dated marbled pink countertops (which are actually updated from the original). And my favorite wine glass that looks like I'm drinking from a tulip.

What do I say about Adria?

Good-bye? It's sad to me, when I am saying goodbye in the countdown. It's not like I can't just pick up the phone and talk to her anytime. But still... we don't do that as often as we should.

Adria did not turn in many recipes for this countdown.

You can see all (3) of them here: Just click here.

But the ones she did are really good.

We were neighbors and saw each other almost every day. We did a couple of field trip chaperoning for 2nd, 3rd, 4th graders.

We were the cub scout den mothers for our kids -- and only one other boy whose name was Jimmy Jones. Yes, only 3 boys in our den.

In the summer of 1994, we decided to be in charge of the cub scout day camp. We figured what the heck, if we could handle 3, we could handle 33, as more 'dens' joined us for the day camp.

Adria and I worked our asses (sorry for the profanity) off and had a dunk tank, platforms in trees (to drop science experiments) and obstacle courses to run, and so much more.

We didn't know it then, but we were preparing to have grandchildren! Because that's what we do now-- we might as well have a dunk tank, platforms in trees and run obstacle courses.

Grandkids are more exhausting than running that 4-day day camp in 1994.

BUT it's a lot more fun too!

But I digress--- Day camp '94 culminated in a sleep out. Neither of our husbands could make it, so there we were on a Friday night after surviving all that 33 10-year-old boys could throw at us (figuratively and literally) ---almost in the dark--trying to put a tent together. We could handle a dunk tank and platforms in trees--- but a tent? You would have thought we were the 3 stooges! And there were only 2 of us.

It all worked out in the end, I guess. My memory ends with all of us sitting around a campfire telling ghost stories.

I don't see her or talk to her very much lately.

I need to retire and remedy that.

Good-bye Adria (and her husband Tim)

So, friends, My friends! This is recipe #344 out of 361.

(I'm 99% sure I have all the math down pat now)

(it would have helped if I had gone in a linier progression instead of jumping all over the place)

Look how close I am!

2023 will be the year!!

Will it really tho?

(I'm slow going) (soooo slow)

Cooking Club—Italian 30 Nov 2023 3:30 AM (last year)

“Friendship is the butter on the bread of life.”

Cooking Club-- October 2020.

If you recall, we last met a mere week before the pandemic broke out worldwide, on February 28th, 2020.

We waited patiently for there to be a break in COVID so we could get together again.

But...it was not happening.

So, we bent the rules.

We chose to become rule breakers--we are a wild and crazy bunch of cookers and even tho the government and health departments all over the US were warning us to stay away from each other still, we just couldn't do it.

So we gave in and had Italian food.

And as Sally said, "we'll never again take for granted the company of good friends and good food."

It never fails---one of us always buys a new cookbook for cooking club.

April always sets a nice table.

There is just one thing--and this has nothing to do with the table or the food, but rather, our hearts were sad because our friends, Shelly and Lorin were actually in the process of making a move. A move to another state. It won't happen for another year, but being the future thinkers that we are, we invited Mike and Theresa Mavity to be the new 'substitutes'.

“The love of good food and the love of good friends are two of the simplest yet greatest pleasures in life.”

It's so true!

It's so simple, and yet the best thing in the world.

This--THIS--is my kind of gathering.

Food and friends. In someone's home.

The new people laughing and having fun!

Actually, there are only new to this group. We've all known each other for years.

AND they are happy to be the subs.

See! Theresa is so happy being a substitute---she's thinking "there is no way I'm making something that time consuming and complicated."

We had lasagna and an antipasto salad and gelato and Neapolitan cookies...and other Italian dishes all made from scratch.

Lots of good food.

(lots and lots of carbs)

Then enjoyed the evening with good conversation and discussions about Italy and food.

Scenes from the evening....of friends and food.

Giving away her honey.

She had bees.

(the bees liked the COVID year)

The end!

This was the best cooking club ever!

With the best friends ever!

And these cooking club meals were all good too... just click on the link to see.

Cooking Club #1 -Meals your mom used to make

Cooking Club #2- Cajun Cooking

Cooking Club #3 - Let's all go to Hawaii

Cooking Club #4 - American Regional Cooking --Great Lakes Region, featuring: SUPPER CLUBS!

Cooking Club #5 - Famous Chefs (long post with other stuff mixed in, but just trust me)

Cooking Club #6 -Meatball Madness -- or something round (long post combined with Famous Chef's. Scroll thru some stuff to get there)

Cooking Club #7 - Breakfast for dinner

Cooking Club #8 - Slow Cooking

Cooking Club #9 - Mexican Street Food

Cooking Club #10- Your Christmas Cookie Heritage

Cooking Club #11 - Cooking from labels/back of box, can, or carton

Cooking Club #12 - It's all Greek to Me!

Cooking Club #13 - A Root Beer Tasting Holiday

Cooking Club #14 - Thai Food

Cooking Club #15- Pizza

Cooking Club #16- Pacific Northwest

Cooking Club #17 - Christmas Scavenger Hunt

Cooking Club #18 Milk Street Mania

Cooking Club #19 - 9x13 Cooking

Cooking Club #20--Jewish Deli

Cooking Club #21--Italian Dinner

Coming Soon --

Cook from a Movie --CHEF

Fondue Party

End of summer rhubarb party

Paella

Fermentation, pickled, raw, clean food.

Indonesian

Friday Friend Recipe #342 and 343-my mom's chicken casserole and Mexican Lasagna 29 Nov 2023 11:10 PM (last year)

Making my way thru my Friday Friend Cookbook, one recipe at a time.

What is the Friday Friend cookbook? I once had about 50 of my closest friends and family (from all over the county) on an e-mail forum which I called the Friday Friends. At first, most of them didn't know each other, (they knew me) but over the past 21 years, we've answered and shared silly--and serious---questions, exchanged Secret Santa Christmas gifts, had a dieting contest in which we paid a $1 a week and that money went to a scholarship fund for a Friday Friends son's memorial scholarship, and we went on a great vacation for my 52 birthday. (plus so much more....)

AND, we contributed recipes for a cookbook.

Which brings me to recipes 342 and 343

My mom's

Chicken Casserole

and

Mexican Lasagna

My mom had a well 'cheesed' rotation of recipes.

You know--that rotation of mainstay recipes you have routinely? Well, I do believe that my mom's all contained cheese.

One can't really go wrong with cheese tho.

These recipes are both really good.

As I'm drawing nearer to the end of this cookbook, I am finding it hard to come up with more stories, so today instead of featuring my mom--I thought I'd make fun of my dad.

My dad:

He was a marine.

He was a policeman.

He was in charge of security for Hanford patrol (nuclear stuff--part of the Manhattan project in the 40's, etc. Of course, he wasn't there in the 40's but rather the late 80's)

He had his own Private Detective agency as his last career move.

He ran the Bloomsday 12k one year.

He traveled the world, was a huge football fan, swimmer, Shriner, church goer, loved his family.

But one time---the one time in his life he is clueless of what he is doing--we had to document it for prosperity.

Why would we do this? What could we possibly do with this documentation?

Well---here it is! For the world to see.

It was in the summer of 2007, Phoenix, Arizona and we were getting things set up for my son's wedding reception. We were all busy with odd jobs--we, as in the whole family--many hands make light work and all that. But it left my dad with not so much to do.

So, he leaned against the wall--or thought he did-- to visit and oversee the job.

Unbeknownst to my dad, (but not to anyone else) he had leaned against a water fountain (or drinking fountain, or even bubbler if you're from Wisconsin) and turn it on. His butt was hitting the press button each time he leaned back against it.

And because we are a kind and loving family, never to humiliate or make a joke out of someone's misfortune, we (his kids and grandkids) would all walk by and ask him a question in a low voice, so he'd have to lean forward to answer. Then he'd lean back, and the water would come back on.

My mom was taking pictures the whole time and the rest of us would ask him a question and then laugh and laugh.

He had no idea what was going on.

I'm not sure he ever knew.

But now--you do!

Below is a picture of me and my dad in better times.

As in, me not teasing him.

But you know---if you do the crime, you pay the fine. Or do the time. (??)

It's fitting I think, as his whole career was based on a life of crime.

Just in the good way 😄

So, friends, My friends! These are recipes 342 and 343

out of 361 (I'm 99% sure I have all the math down pat now) (it would have helped if I had gone in a linier progression instead of jumping all over the place)

2023 will be the year!!

Will it really tho?

(I'm slow going) (soooo slow)

Friday Friend Cookbook Countdown #341 Hot Apricot Punch 10 Nov 2023 12:22 AM (last year)

I must get this done! At least to prove something to myself if not the Handyman...

because...

...about 22 years ago, 50 of my closest friends and family, who had been on an

e-mail forum with me, sent in recipes in different categories and we compiled a cookbook.

I decided to count those down!

Why?

because one night I was looking thru the cookbook and I said, "I should make every recipe in here for my blog."

The Handyman/Mayor, who thinks he knows me better than I know myself, said "you'll never EVER do that."

Well, maybe I will! Maybe I'll show him!

Which brings us to one of my recipes--Hot Apricot Punch. Number 341 on the countdown.

I searched high and low for apricot 'nectar'.

Here is the deal--I turned this in to our Friday Friend Cookbook countdown editor (Barbara Brown) as one of my favorites--because that's what we were supposed to do--turn in our favorites.

But I have no recollection of every having made this in my life!

None.

It was good, but the first time I have ever had it or tasted it was when I made it for this countdown.

I must have imagined it would be good.

So, let's do some more imagining.

Go back with me, if you will, 22.5 years ago, when, at a graduation party for my middle son, Dustin, I went around to all the guests and asked them what their dream job was.

Now let me just say--it was late in the party and there might have been some alcohol involved. Maybe.

BUT--YES, I have saved this handwritten list for 22 years.

In case you doubt me?

I couldn't put a photo of everyone who told me their dream job---that would be way too many photos, so I chose a select few from the party. Where alcohol might have been involved. Not saying it was or wasn't.

But let me start with how the party was going---

It was 'warmish'. It was only the 1st of June after all.

The Pacific Northwest family (in the kiddie pool was one of my favorite brothers-in-law, Mike) was HOT.

The Arizona family/friends were loving the cool and being able to actually be outside in the sunshine.

The local friends and family were just happy it was a nice day.

And that there was alcohol. (did I mention there might have been?)

Now for the dream job list!

Those cute people in the photo above?

Gina--dreams of being a famous figure skater.

Larry--would have loved to have been a puffer fighter pilot.

Mitzi--missed her calling as a famous watercolorist and veterinarian.

Another of one of my favorite brothers-in-law, Scott--would love to be the owner of a cruise ship.

And Barb just wants to be a singer on stage or a checker at Safeway.

These were lofty goals my friends! Too bad you fell short.

Look, it's two of my favorite sisters-in-law.

LeAnne always dreamt of being a Neonatal Nurse.

Cherrie? A mistress to a wealthy person.

(I did say alcohol, right?)

My good friend Peggy! She would have made a great traveling graphic artist.

And one of my mothers-in-law, (I had two of them! this is the Handyman's stepmother) Pat wanted to be a head taster--at a Swiss chocolate factory.

If I had two mothers-in-law, it stands to reason I have two fathers-in-law.

The one above? Phil? Since his younger years has always wanted to be the piano player in a whorehouse.

GEEZ LOUISE!! I didn't even know he played the piano!

The one below (on the right) his name is Richard Stone (so is his son, my husband), well his dream is to be a wine taster or the center for the Lakers.

The guy next to him is Mike, one of my favorite brothers-in-law, who is still to this day, 22 years later, trying to live his life-long dream of being a professional recreationalist.

Below--

There is Barb again, singer or Safeway checker? You be the judge.

Another of my favorite brothers-in-law, Greg, who has always wanted (every since I've known him, 46 years) to be a professional chef.

And me-- a columnist. OR a cultural sociologist/anthropologist/archeologist. My dream job.

and last of the photos but never the friends--

John and Robbie.

She always wanted to be a famous painter or sculptor.

John's dream job would be to be a lawyer--another a-hole. (His words, not mine) (I did say that maybe alcohol was consumed?)

Again, not room for photos of everyone, but dream jobs?

Here you go:

Leslie--a singer

Don--pro basketball player

Ashley--worker at Disneyland

April--Cruise Director

Mom B (my other mother-in-law) wants to be a CSI.

My mom--to work in a baby nursery.

My dad-- PI (he said he's too old to dream. He was a private investigator at this time)

David-- a sports physician

Charmie-- another CSI

Jeff--audio engineer

Marisol--teacher

Michael--a DJ

Doug and Rich?

one a playboy photographer and one a p--n star.

You decide.

And two of my children

Luke (who was 21 at the time) wants to grow up to win the megabucks.

Dustin (whose graduation we were all celebrating--with alcohol, did I mention that?) wants to inherit the Dry Cleaners!

(we owned one at the time)

There were more people at the party, but I started late, so only the hangers on got to tell me their dream job.

So, friends, My friends! This is recipe #341

out of 361 (I'm 99% sure I have all the math down pat now) (it would have helped if I had gone in a linier progression instead of jumping all over the place)

2023 will be the year!!

(Although I'm slow going) (soooo slow)

Then what will I do?

Friday friend recipes number 339 and 340 6 Oct 2023 6:45 PM (last year)

and you know all the whys and wherefores of this countdown, right? Homemade cookbook, friends contributed, Handyman said I couldn't/wouldn't do it, I'll show him, yadda yadda yadda....

...and the rest is cookbook history!

Just remember, the countdown is not all about pretty food and food design---it's about the people and the stories.

And (the most important thing) proving my husband wrong--and that I can and WILL make every recipe in this cookbook.

Which brings me to recipes #339 and #340

Ashley's Pecan Tartlets and Chicken Piccatta

It's like a slice of pecan pie you can just pop in your mouth!

Yummy!

I really would not make it as a food photographer.

White on white on white?

This is really good! I like artichokes and capers. Oh, and chicken. I like chicken---it comes out so moist in this recipe.

And this brings me to the end of Ashley--her recipes anyway.

Maybe I'm going so slow at the end of this cookbook countdown because it feels like I am saying goodbye to my friends.

(yes I am sentimental)

(yes I know I can just call and see her anytime)

(but this is different 😉)

Ashley.

She likes all things Disney.

She likes baseball (specifically the San Francisco Giants)

She likes snowmen.

She likes to cook.

She owns a few restaurants.

Speaking of their restaurants, at the Griddle, the restaurant in Winnemucca (well, they are all named The Griddle--they just have 4 or 5 of them in different cities) I do love the meatloaf sandwich.

Why am I randomly talking about meatloaf all of the sudden?

Because I found this conversation from an old Friday Friend Forum folder.

Mmmmm-- it really is good on grilled sourdough with grilled onions and jack cheese.

You can see all her recipes in the Friday Friend Cookbook countdown, right here. Just click.

It's kind of fun to go back and see what all everyone made.

Goodbye my friend!

(at least in this cookbook world)

So, friends, My friends! These are recipes #339 and 340

out of 361 (I'm 99% sure I have all the math down pat now)

2023 will be the year!!

(Although I'm slow going)

Then what will I do?

Friday Friend Recipe #338-Nicole's colorful spaghetti sauce 11 Jul 2023 9:38 PM (last year)

Making my way thru my Friday Friend Cookbook, one recipe at a time.

What is the Friday Friend cookbook? I once had about 50 of my closest friends and family (from all over the county) on an e-mail forum which I called the Friday Friends. At first, most of them didn't know each other, (they knew me) but over the past 21 years, we've answered and shared silly--and serious---questions, exchanged Secret Santa Christmas gifts, had a dieting contest in which we paid a $1 a week and that money went to a scholarship fund for a Friday Friends son's memorial scholarship, and we went on a great vacation for my 52 birthday. (plus so much more....)

AND, we contributed recipes for a cookbook.

Which brings me to recipe #338

Nicole's

Colorful Spaghetti

Spaghetti Sauce #24

As the Handyman says: we've tried a lot of different spaghetti sauces. Does he have a favorite so far? Yes, he does. But I'll wait till the end to tell you which one it is.

It's hard to narrow it down to one tho---because they are all spooned over (Or mixed in with) pasta and there is no going wrong with that combination.

This recipe seemed a little different from the others, but it was really good. IF you like peppers.

And this brings me to the last of my friend Nicole's recipes for the Friday Friend Cookbook.

She only turned in 2.

You can see her other one here: Just click right here.

On to a Nicole story. (Nicole and her son Ian with our friend Betty. You might recognize Betty from being in some of Ashley's recipe posts. You can see them here--again just click right here.

Betty never sent in her own recipes, and she is a wonderful cook. Oh well, what's a girl to do?)

So here we have Nicole and her son Ian and Betty. It is an early 7:30am, cold November morning, getting ready for the Turkey Trot.

We all did it, every Thanksgiving. It's a good way to begin the day.

Nicole and Betty also helped at the registration desk. This might have been the first Winnemucca Turkey Trot ever.

Nicole has always been involved in Health You programs. And then COVID hit and she ended up being hired by the county to keep all the stats on every COVID related. Every. Single stat. That you could every think of.

In the past couple of years, my friend has been dealing with some of her own health issues and keeps a lower profile.

But before that she was involved in many of the 5k's for non-profits around the area.

The Turkey Trot was for Alzheimer's.

She helped with Color the Mucc (a color run), which raised funds for a high school scholarship program.

And the Lorena Smith Bengoa "Run, Ride or Walk for the cure" (a local cancer foundation)

I don't have many photos of Nicole at the races but this one above.

was taken at the Lorena Bengo race in 2014.

People who participated in the race?

My daughter-in-law Jessica, my friend Robbie Milton (she her posts here. Just click) and her son's partner, Tami.

Lovely ladies all.

And look! Once again, Betty sneaks in!

I miss my friend Nicole's sweet face.

I'll have to suffice by eating her cookies and making her spaghetti.

And then this is it for Nicole. No more recipes.

As I told her a few posts earlier, it's sad to say goodbye. (to my friends in this format. 😏)

So, friends, My friends! This is recipe, #338

out of 361 (I'm 99% sure I have all the math down pat now)

2023 will be the year!!

(Although I'm slow going)

Then what will I do?

Friday friend recipe number 336 and 337, MEGAN’s chicken, saltimbocca and baked zucchini 5 Jun 2023 5:36 PM (last year)

I must get this done! At least to prove something to myself if not the Handyman...

because...

...about 22 years ago, 50 of my closest friends and family, who had been on an

e-mail forum with me, sent in recipes in different categories and we compiled a cookbook.

I decided to count those down!

Why?

because one night I was looking thru the cookbook and I said, "I should make every recipe in here for my blog."

The Handyman/Mayor, who thinks he knows me better than I know myself, said "you'll never EVER do that."

Well, maybe I will! Maybe I'll show him!

Which brings us to one of my favorite sisters-in-law, Meghan Stone's Baked Zucchini and Chicken Saltimbocca

These were both really great. My photos are not.

Saltimbocca is a traditional Italian dish that dates back to ancient Rome. The name saltimbocca literally means "jump in the mouth" in Italian, which is fitting given its delicious flavor.

So in other words, don't be swayed by my photos of the saltimbocca--just make it and taste it. It will jump in your mouth!

When I was little, I didn't think I liked zucchini.

I was wrong.

And again-- since I am getting closer to the end, these are the last recipes of Meghan's that I'll be posting.

We're saying goodbye.

(the Handyman just walked by, and I said (with tears in my eyes) --we're saying goodbye to Meghan now and he said WHY? I said--it's her last recipes in the FF Cookbook.)

Here is the Handyman's youngest brother Mike and his beautiful wife Meghan.

The story? Ohhh, the story!

As you know I've saved a few answers from the Friday Friend Forum of years ago. (some I probably shouldn't share - yikes)

But here I go, giving Meghan's answers to life's pertinent questions.

Once I asked about Homecoming--

She said: I always liked school dances. Prom. Homecoming, winter formal. The Best Homecoming year was when I was a Pom-Pom girl and there was a flurry of activities and rallies leading up to the big game and dance. I am sure the worst wqas probably my Freshman year--the Jr/Sr Prom. I liked a Junior. He was taking someone else to the dance. He did not know I liked him. Found a friend to let him know and we started dating after that and he was my boyfriend all through high school.

Me: Well, it's a good thing it didn't last past high school--otherwise you'd be with someone else's family!!

And then once I asked about Voodoo. I asked if you could use a Voodoo doll to hurt someone, who would it be?

She said: Voodoo...in reality, no, but in fantasy land, where this question was written...ANYONE who crosses the path of my kids or husband--POKE POKE!!

ME: But my favorite answers of hers, were her little quips when I asked a food question. She ran a catering business for quite a few years, and she is great cook, so they always struck me as funny.

I once asked about the famous, legendary, one and only, first and foremost Diner Foods--the open-faced hot roast beef sandwich.

She said: Not a fan...even au jus. I need a toasty roll, quick dip and shovel it all in. I prefer bread stuffing on the bottom of the roast beef and gravy pile, that I could dig.

Christmas eve dinner, once upon a time.

Meghan: I am making spinach salad, and supposedly in charge of the roast (!!??) My mom is having cracked crab and cold shrimp--with minestrone and spinach salad. I am doing the salad and the minestrone....and maybe the shrimp. So, my mom is doing crab.

Should I just throw this hunk of meat in the crock pot and call it good?

And on eating alone:

The only time I eat alone is when the kids are at school...a lot of times I don't eat till lunch and then may dine out or grab something (UNHEALTHY) to go.

I'll have the leftovers from the night before for breakfast.

*******************

I know that wasn't really a Meghan 'story', just great memories for me.

The way I met her was thru emails. We became fast friends over the internet. LOL And then she became family and then we met in person!

These are some of my favorite people/family members ever. They are adorable. Just look at them!

So, friends, My friends! These are recipes, #336 and #337

out of 361 (I'm 99% sure I have all the math down pat now)

2023 will be the year!!

(Although I'm slow going)

Then what will I do?

You can check out all of Meghan's recipes here. Just click it.

Friday friend recipe number 335 30 Apr 2023 7:57 PM (2 years ago)

My Friday Friend Cookbook Countdown #337

I think this is my strawberry pretzel dessert (or salad)

and you know all the whys and wherefores of this countdown, right? Homemade cookbook, friends contributed, Handyman said I couldn't/wouldn't do it, I'll show him, yadda yadda yadda....

...and the rest is cookbook history!

Just remember, the countdown is not all about pretty food and food design---it's about the people and the stories.

And (the most important thing) proving my husband wrong--and that I can and WILL make every recipe in this cookbook.

I have this entered in the FF Cookbook as a dessert. Barbara Brown (the publisher aka typist of the original) entered it as a salad.

You be the judge.

Both are yummy!

Click here to see her recipe.

Here is mine:

As you know already, I adore my sisters-in-law. I am lucky that way. Especially since I have a gazillion of them-- or maybe only 13. Seems like a gazillion.

And since this is my recipe, I can 'spotlight' anyone I like, right? (no need to answer, because I'm going to do what I want)

Sylvia didn't enter very many recipes in the FF Cookbook, but you can see what she did here. Just click.

But since I'm saying "goodbye" to everyone, I thought I'd say,

so long/farewell to her too. One of my absolute favorite sisters-in-law.

My brother Kevin, Sylvia and my nephews, Jason and Jeff.

They were attending a family reunion on Guam when this photo was taken.

And my funny story?

Well, I was working in a school library in Los Banos, California and one of the new teachers and I were visiting--he was from Guam--and he asked my sister-in-law's name, I said Sylvia Delgado (her mother was a Fujikawa) and he said, I think I know them. They had a band. Her dad and uncles.

I was shocked--and I knew, I just knew he was wrong. I said no, I don't think it's the same family. I had never heard about this musical side of Sylvia's family before, and she had been in our family for about 7 years by then.

When I called her later, I found out that they did indeed have a band, and they made an album or two. Also, she had gone to school with the teacher.

Fast forward 15 years and I'm at a funeral in Winnemucca, Nevada and the priest is from Guam (and you know, as common ground for conversation, I say so is my sister-in-law). Well, guess what? Soon the priest is telling me about this band in Guam--the Delgado Brothers. 😊

I asked my sister-in-law if she had a copy of the album. and She sent me this picture.

from Sylvia:

so, this was their first album-Para si Juan. In English, the literal translation for John.

The album was dedicated to their brother John, the first in the family to pass away.

My dad is the farthest on the right.

from the left on the tree: my uncles, Joe, Gus, Tony and in front my uncle Jess.

They got a local sponsor who knew a recording company in the Philippines. So, my parents and aunts and uncles would fly to the Philippines to record. They made two more albums, a Christmas album and another one. I only have this copy.

My mother would say "it's a small world" because of the coincidence of me running into the teacher and the priest (that sounds like the start of a joke--a teacher and a priest walked into a bar....)

I told her to find that Christmas album, lickedy split! And to tell her boys this story about the band, about this part of their family history before they have to hear it from a teacher and a priest!

And that is my Sylvia story.

The end.

Because this is goodbye.

So, friends, My friends! This is recipe, #335 out of 361 (I'm 99% sure I have all the math down pat now)

2023 will be the year!!

(Although I'm slow going)

Then what will I do?

Friday friend recipes #332, 333, and 334 28 Feb 2023 7:02 PM (2 years ago)

Making my way thru my Friday Friend Cookbook, one recipe at a time.

What is the Friday Friend cookbook? I once had about 50 of my closest friends and family (from all over the county) on an e-mail forum which I called the Friday Friends. At first, most of them didn't know each other, (they knew me) but over the past 21 years, we've answered and shared silly--and serious---questions, exchanged Secret Santa Christmas gifts, had a dieting contest in which we paid a $1 a week and that money went to a scholarship fund for a Friday Friends son's memorial scholarship, and we went on a great vacation for my 52 birthday. (plus so much more....)

AND, we contributed recipes for a cookbook.

Which brings me to recipes #332, 333 and 334

Barb's

Green Noodles and Veggies

Zucchini and Hominy

Jumbo Vegetarian Pasta Shells

I only had parmesan shavings and not anything grated. They were good on this pasta/side dish.

This had an interesting flavor and texture-- green pasta in a velvety butter sauce.

And then came the zucchini (good) and hominy (also good), put them together and you have a hearty vegetable side dish.

I like all the ingredients, but if you don't like hominy especially, then this might not be for you. On the other hand, you don't know what you're missing.

I couldn't find any pasta 'shells', jumbo or miniature or anywhere in between, in the whole town of Winnemucca. (we only have 3 grocery stores) So I used some manicotti shells and tried to make them look like 'sea' shells. HEY! what a minute---it doesn't say 'sea' shells anywhere in this recipe.

Imagine that----I'm not on the hotplate anymore. I used pasta shells---manicotti shells!!

These were yummy, but as I might have mentioned before, one cannot go wrong with pasta and cheese and sauce.

This posed a bigger dilemma for me than choosing a pasta shell, other than 'sea' shell.

White or Yellow Hominy?

Or Mexican style which looks like a blend.

I'm pretty sure I did the blend.

So---Barb and Doug.

True lovers for a long, long time.

for reference----

Long ago:

6 years ago:

We spent a wonderful weekend with the Browns in Tahoe 6 years ago.

But let me get back to the true love part.

One Valentine's Day---in 2005 (I kept records. Seriously. From when we did the Friday Friend Forum. I knew these confessions by Friday Friends would come in handy someday) I got this email....

From Barb: I don't want to gloat, but... When I got home from work yesterday, Doug had a bubble bath ready, with a heart candle and a drink. After I soaked for a while, he got me my white terry robe to lounge in. Then once I was comfortable, I got a foot/leg/neck rub with lotion. Maybe I need to keep working?? NOT! I'll take my chances that he will continue to do this. Isn't he great?

Then later in the month-- I was invited to a Pampered Chef party. I went with April. When I dropped her off at home, she sighed and said, "I have to go paint a wall. Want to come see which one I'm painting? We walked in and it smelled like fresh paint to me..and guess what? HER DOUG, had painted the wall, so that she could get her new (antique) buffet situated there on that very wall. He HATES to paint. But he did if for her.

Now I really, really want a Doug of my own! Dougs seem so nice.

From Barb: Now I sound like an ingrate but go ahead. He's yours for a while. I will learn to live with the temporary dust. Doug took it to a ridiculous level this morning. He was awake before 5, so the smell of coffee made me get up around 5:05. He had already read the paper and had a cup. So--while I am trying to do the same---he is starting a load of laundry, dusting the furniture, swiffereing the floors, getting the vacuum out, etcetcetc. Not that I don't appreciate his help, but does all this need to be done befoer 7am??!! And the smell of all the cleaning solutions does not go well when one is trying to enjoy their coffee. I finally gave up and took my shower and got cleaned up just to get away from him. On the bright side, since he has done practically every chore possible, I might just be able to enjoy my coffee and Sunday paper tomorrow. It's supposed to rain (in buckets/hard) later today, so I can hardly wait to lie on the couch, with my book and listen to the pitter patter of drops. Unless Doug decides to move the furniture or something.......

Awwwww--true love! I found something interesting in going thru my boxes--of classified Friday Friend material---I found this from Doug (Barb's Doug) It's his list of top 5 favorite movies.

Wait? What? There is a movie version of Barb and Doug's Great Adventure?

Hmmm, Barb might have some 'splainin' to do.

The other Doug--April's Doug (and one of my favorite sisters-in-law, Cherrie) and Barb.

So, friends, My friends! These are recipes, #332, 333, and 334 out of 361 (I'm 99% sure I have all the math down pat now)

2023 will be the year!!

(Although I'm slow going)

Then what will I do?

You can check out all of Barb's Recipes here.

Cherrie Lou who's recipes here. ( just cuz she's right there and she's cute)

And April's recipes here (because there is her Doug :)

Cooking Club--Jewish Deli Food 28 Feb 2023 6:12 PM (2 years ago)

I think we need a cool name. Cooking club---Supper Club.

They sound boring to me. So, I looked up cool cooking club names and thought perhaps we could borrow one?

Here are a few interesting ones:

The Zesty Chefs

The Tasty Temptations

Gourmet Goddesses

Bad to da Bone Cookers

I'm not sure what fits us.

We are a small group of friends who get together on a semi-regular basis to take on a large cooking project--or--explore an unfamiliar cuisine.

This was a bit unfamiliar to us--

Jewish Deli food.

And-- I am so far behind; we did our Jewish Deli food in March of 2020. Early March, right before the world went crazy.

And let's face it--it did go crazy for a while, and at first it was very scary. And then, it wasn't.

But I digress.

Sally and Paul made corned beef and Pastrami from scratch!!

It was the centerpiece of the meal.

And it was oh-so-good.

This is a text about how they did it:

It tasted really good!

Seen below right before going on the grill.

What we always do---whoever is hosting, buys a cookbook before cooking club. NOT something we have to do, or even talk about--we just do it, to be able to look thru it and know some facts about what we are attempting to do.

Of course, none of us have Kosher kitchens, but the food was really, really good.

We bought the right stuff....

We read the right books, watched the right movies.

And then we just had fun--as we always do.

It was a really good sandwich!

As usual I have a gazillion photos of our evening.

I wish I could explain how nice it is to have a cooking club/supper club.

When trying to find something on the internet about cooking clubs I did discover that they are the newest trend. Cooking and meal sharing is trendy.

I've done both and while the meal sharing (we called it dinner swap and only once a week was I responsible for making dinner--for four couples. And dropping it off on their doorstep. My day was Wednesday and then on all the other weekdays, someone would drop off on my doorstep. Or kitchen counter.

We did it Monday-Thursday for 6 months. It was so nice to have dinner prepared for us.

I loved it. And I would do it again, but if I had to choose, I'd choose this cooking club, the one where we eat with our friends. We get to talk and laugh together. You share a bond with people when you gather to eat on a regular basis.

I feel comfortable saying that I love this one, this cooking club the most, because half of the dinner swap people are the same as cooking club people.

But anyway--- let's get back to our Jewish Deli party night!

We had a test!

Yes, a test!

I think I am so smart, but I failed this test!

We began our evening with some pickled things.

Pickles

Olives

Beets

And bagels and lox-- or my bastardized version of it.

But they were good, nonetheless.

Something smells good!

It's Chicken soup with Matzo Balls!

We had latkes or latkas--it depends on where you are from--a Ashkenazi Jewish tradition that is made for Hannukah.

We served with applesauce.

And we also had Kugle..

I didn't get a close up of the Kugle, so I borrowed this photo below. But April's Kugle looked exactly like this.

As you can tell if you look closely at all the Kugle left on the plates.

It was no one's favorite. But really, who are we?

And once again, poor Paul and Sally got put in the corner.

(whenever I say 'corner' like that, I am reminded of the movie Dirty Dancing and the line "no one puts Baby in the corner." And that movie took place in the Catskills, which was a typical Jewish summer holiday place. See how I can bring this all back around to the theme of the evening?)

We always have fun at our SUPPER-CLUB!

(whatever you want to call it)

**notice that Shelly and Lorin were absent from this cooking/supper club get together. They were probably in Hawaii in March but let this picture (of them missing) be a foreshadowing.

The end!

This was the best cooking club ever!

And these cooking club meals were all good too... just click on the link to see.

Cooking Club #1 -Meals your mom used to make

Cooking Club #2- Cajun Cooking

Cooking Club #3 - Let's all go to Hawaii

Cooking Club #4 - American Regional Cooking --Great Lakes Region, featuring: SUPPER CLUBS!

Cooking Club #5 - Famous Chefs (long post with other stuff mixed in, but just trust me)

Cooking Club #6 -Meatball Madness -- or something round (long post combined with Famous Chef's. Scroll thru some stuff to get there)

Cooking Club #7 - Breakfast for dinner

Cooking Club #8 - Slow Cooking

Cooking Club #9 - Mexican Street Food

Cooking Club #10- Your Christmas Cookie Heritage

Cooking Club #11 - Cooking from labels/back of box, can, or carton

Cooking Club #12 - It's all Greek to Me!

Cooking Club #13 - A Root Beer Tasting Holiday

Cooking Club #14 - Thai Food

Cooking Club #15- Pizza

Cooking Club #16- Pacific Northwest

Cooking Club #17 - Christmas Scavenger Hunt

Cooking Club #18 Milk Street Mania

Cooking Club #19 - 9x13 Cooking

Coming Soon --

Italian Dinner

Cook from a Movie --CHEF

Fondue Party

End of summer rhubarb party

Paella

Fermentation, pickled, raw, clean food.

Friday friend recipe number #331 Chicken Cheese Enchiladas 27 Feb 2023 6:48 PM (2 years ago)

My Friday Friend Cookbook Countdown #331

My wonderful friend Traci's Chicken Cheese Enchiladas

and you know all the whys and wherefores of this countdown, right? Homemade cookbook, friends contributed, Handyman said I couldn't/wouldn't do it, I'll show him, yadda yadda yadda....

...and the rest is cookbook history!

Just remember, the countdown is not all about pretty food and food design---it's about the people and the stories.

And (the most important thing) proving my husband wrong--and that I can and WILL make every recipe in this cookbook.

Tex-Mex at its finest.

I am always debating over corn or flour tortillas, and usually, USUALLY (there are always exceptions to the rule) original Mexican food uses corn tortillas and the more Americanized Tex-Mex will use a flour tortilla.

So, here you go---Tex-Mex enchildadas.

And they are good!

As you know, if you've read past Friday Friend Cookbook Countdown posts, Traci was my daily person. We communicated via email (cuz we're old fashioned like that) throughout the day while we worked.

Then Traci retired and I haven't heard from her since.

Okay, that's not true. But she is off doing fun things and I am working.

Fun things like going to baseball games?

Yesterday I sent her a text asking a couple of random questions to try and get a little funny story for here.

First, I asked her "What is the most ridiculous dream you've ever had?"
It was like pulling teeth to get her to tell me.

First, she says: Wow, that is a weird question for sure. I don't really remember my dreams, but it was about my kids and something they did. Funny dream, not scary.

Then I had to ask again--but what was it about?

She said, Don't remember, that was a few months ago.

So, then I had to switch tactics and ask her about baseball.

Traci doesn't watch much TV--we both would rather read a book--so I asked if she watched the baseball games with Larry.

She said: I will watch sometimes while I 'm reading. but to sit and watch a whole game--so NOT interested. We go to one live game a year tho. Live yes, TV no.

And Wah-LA! I found evidence of she and Larry at a baseball game.

The San Francisco Giants--he is an avid sports fan, but his team is San Franciso anything.

2 different years. OR two different men with Traci?

A mustache changes the look so much! (but it's really him!)

During our conversation, in which, I am reminded once again that Traci does not watch TV, she says she is going to (different town) to watch her grandkids for a week.

Later on in the day she texts me: I'm getting so old; I don't know how to work their TV.

Her son and daughter-in-law were gone by this time.

This is what we get for not watching TV! We don't know how to work stuff anymore.

Thankfully she has adolescent grandkids who can help her figure all this technology out.

Go make these enchiladas now--figure out your TV and watch and old movie or a baseball game--opening day for the 2023 season is March 30th. Have a margarita. It'll be perfect!

My friends! This is recipe 331 out of 361 (I'm 99% sure I have all the math down pat now)

2023 will be the year!!

(Although I'm slow going)

Then what will I do?

You can click here to see all of Traci's recipes.

Friday friend recipes 328 329 and 330 Linda’s Spaghetti Sauce, Shrimp and Chicken in Wine Sauce and Spinach Terrific 18 Feb 2023 9:34 PM (2 years ago)

I must get this done! At least to prove something to myself if not the Handyman...

because...

...about 22 years ago, 50 of my closest friends and family, who had been on an

e-mail forum with me, sent in recipes in different categories and we compiled a cookbook.

I decided to count those down!

Why?

because one night I was looking thru the cookbook and I said, "I should make every recipe in here for my blog."

The Handyman/Mayor, who thinks he knows me better than I know myself, said "you'll never EVER do that."

Well, maybe I will! Maybe I'll show him!

Which brings us to my cousin Linda's Shrimp and Chicken in Wine Sauce, Spinach Terrific and Spaghetti

Yum to the shrimp and chicken. It was good.

In fact, maybe I'll make it tonight!

The spinach was a fun twist on creamed spinach--which I like.

Do you?

Before I go any further, I must explain how weird the Handyman is.

For example, he has no free will in choosing his clothes. When I wash and fold, I leave his T-shirts lying on the bed, he puts them away by putting them under the T-shirts which are already on the shelf. When he gets dressed, he grabs the first T-shirt. He calls it the rotation--so they all get equal billing/wearing. I said to him, what if you don't want to wear that shirt? He said it doesn't matter--it's first up in the rotation.

He does his coats/jackets like that too.

I had no idea. 45 years in and I am still learning new things. We keep it happening--keep the love alive with new discoveries. (sigh)

Anyway... we had some salad with our spaghetti, and he lined up the salad dressings by expiration date, telling me (and pointing) which one we could eat first.

It was the first blue cheese, of course.

I went out on a limb and grabbed the French (which I really didn't want, but I was being stubborn) and watched him cringe.

This is a really good spaghetti sauce--and as Rich said, we've eaten a lot of spaghetti sauces during this countdown. I believe this is spaghetti sauce recipe #23.

The only thing is--I feel the 1 tablespoon of crushed red pepper was a typo. I'm sure it meant 1 teaspoon. But I can't prove it. Rich said I had to follow the recipe --exactly, because that's what I do. BUT I only put in 1/2 tablespoon.

It was very spicey, but very good.

I would make it again---just for the good smell in my house all night long.

Seriously in the middle of the night, I woke up and it smelled like heaven.

Or spaghetti sauce--which is kind of like heaven.

I used ground beef and turkey.

This will be the last post about my cousin Linda. It's always sad to go say goodbye (even if she's not really gone)

Linda was one of the most prolific contributors to the Friday Friend Cookbook--

you can check out all of her recipes here (just click).

This is a photo of my mom and me and Linda and her daughter, Jennifer, taken at a wedding. (it was her son's wedding--and it was about 17 or 18 years ago, I think)

Anyway, it was a wedding! Weddings are always happy affairs, and I have a little memory of my own wedding, 45 years ago.

And LOOK! Here is little Jenn 45 years ago, at (and in) my wedding to the Handyman.

Forty-Five years ago, there were no cell phones and pictures weren't as plentiful--anyway, I cannot find a picture of Linda and I at my wedding. I don't know what was up with that!

But in my wedding book, I have poems that she wrote for Rich and me. In her own handwriting.

A snapshot of me before the wedding.

A snapshot of Rich outside the church, before the wedding.

One thing I'll say--

We haven't changed a bit!!

My friends! These are recipes #328, 329, and 330 out of 361 (I'm 99% sure I have all the math down pat now)

2023 will be the year!!

(although I'm slow going)

Then what will I do?

Friday friend blog number 327--Bourbon Slush 27 Jan 2023 9:48 PM (2 years ago)

Making my way thru my Friday Friend Cookbook, one recipe at a time.

What is the Friday Friend cookbook? I once had about 50 of my closest friends and family (from all over the county) on an e-mail forum which I called the Friday Friends. At first, most of them didn't know each other, (they knew me) but over the past 21 years, we've answered and shared silly--and serious---questions, exchanged Secret Santa Christmas gifts, had a dieting contest in which we paid a $1 a week and that money went to a scholarship fund for a Friday Friends son's memorial scholarship, and we went on a great vacation for my 52 birthday. (plus so much more....)

AND, we contributed recipes for a cookbook.

Which brings me to recipe #327

Cindy's Bourbon Slush

It seems that the Handyman and I are always eating chips and salsa and playing cards with a cocktail.

What can I say--we are wild and crazy like that.

Now days it's easy to go buy a single serve slushy in a foil packet to stick in your freezer for anytime you want to enjoy it. There is none of the mixing and freezing and stirring and waiting as in the olden days. But you know what? It was kind of fun doing all the buying and mixing and stirring and waiting--- waiting is half the fun, right?

Look at all the bubbles from the 7-up! This is a great summertime slushy. (Although I made it in November and stuck it in front of a cornucopia--still good!)

This is where my story gets hard--

My friend Cindy Borchgrevink (in the middle) only had two recipes in the cookbook countdown.

See her other recipe and story here. Just Click.

So I am saying goodbye to her in the cookbook---the hard part is that Cindy passed away last summer, from a fast type of early onset Alzheimer's.

(this photo is of me, Cindy and Debbie E about 21 years ago.)

Cindy and her husband Larry came thru town in January of 2021 and surprised me.

I got a phone call early one Saturday morning and I saw her name pop up on my phone.

She said they were driving thru Winnemucca on their way home to Wyoming and wanted to see we if could meet them for breakfast.

I said, of course, and then she said they were staying at the Model T and then she asked me if I knew where that was.

Strange question because, it's a small town and everyone knows where that is and also, I work for the Chamber of Commerce, so I have to know where. (It's a hotel/Casino) It's on the main street--everyone knows where it is.

I just laughed and said yes.

We had a nice breakfast--she went to the restroom early on and her husband told us what was happening with her.

Then the Model T question made sense. And it put a whole different vibe on the visit--for me.

It's sad to lose a friend--and while I hadn't lost her yet, I know from experience what a long, painful road dementia and Alzheimer's can be.

They were making a trip--a trip to see old friends--in essence to say goodbye. Her husband was taking her on a big loop around some western states to say goodbye to people while she still could. That's what she wanted.

She passed away about 15 months later.

I had the Handyman take a picture of us--even tho I wasn't at my best.

That's the thing about friendship-- we see each other thru thick and thin, thru best and worst, good and bad-- and it's worth it, worth every minute even if the end is not fun.

Good friends are worth their weight in gold.

My friends! This is recipe #327 out of 361 (I'm 99% sure I have all the math down pat now)

2023 will be the year!!

Then what will I do?

Friday recipe 326--Homemade Rootbeer 17 Jan 2023 11:36 PM (2 years ago)

My Friday Friend Cookbook Countdown #326

My wonderful mother-in-law's Homemade Root Beer

and you know all the whys and wherefores of this countdown, right? Homemade cookbook, friends contributed, Handyman said I couldn't/wouldn't do it, I'll show him, yadda yadda yadda....

...and the rest is cookbook history!

Just remember, the countdown is not all about pretty food and food design---it's about the people and the stories.

And (the most important thing) proving my husband wrong--and that I can and WILL make every recipe in this cookbook.

Dry Ice.

I had to wait till it was 'in season' to buy it around here. Because in small rural towns, it has to be spooky season, I guess.

And--I had to buy it twice! Because little did, I know that you can't store dry ice in your freezer for too long as it just disappears.

It evaporates!

My son and his family with their spooky look on.

The Handyman had to wear gloves to handle the dry ice--- and kept mentioning that he doesn't ever remember his mother making root beer.

I cut this recipe in half, and it still made a lot.

It was really good, but once the dry ice melted (or whatever it does) there was no carbonation, so it was flat. I had a gallon in my fridge for a while--- it tasted good, but more like root beer flavored juice.

It was fun tho!

So now, my mother-in-law, Teresa Marie Solaro Stone Belcher, there was never a better mother-in-law on earth.

That's what I believe. (even, and especially with all her eccentricities)

You can look at her past recipes (and stories) here..Just Click.

This will make her 14th recipe in the countdown, and I've mentioned before that I'm having trouble now thinking of stories about her, so I'm just going to tell you--that one time I made fun of her (re-read ECCENTRICITIES above)

Can you believe it? I tried to get a laugh at her expense!

One of my kids (not the one above) was graduating from high school and we were having a big party. Friends and Family from near and far were coming and I wrote a little

'Cast of Characters' describing who would all be there and sent it to Barbara Brown, the editor of the first edition of this cookbook, just so she would know what to expect. I think it was the first time she'd met everyone.

Later she was adopted in a ceremony by the whole family, so she is a sister by extension. But before that I thought it imperative that she understood who she was dealing with when she came to the party.

*a disclaimer. I might have described everyone in the family. But that paper got lost somehow, this was the only part that has survived the past 25 years. Seriously.

**also a disclaimer. I might have exaggerated certain things. I might have taken literary license when writing up descriptions. Might have.

This is what I sent to Barb:

And then I also sent this to her.

(the last, very last, only remaining page of family descriptions!)

It's too bad (sigh) so very sad that I don't have those other pages describing everyone.

I sure wish I did. But I don't---I DON'T.

By the way, here is a photo of Teresa and her 2 husbands.

The one who looked like George Gobel (kind of), Richard,

and the other one. (the one she loved till the end of her life--Phil)

I was the queen of candid shots when no one was lookin--and this was back in the day of 'film', so I couldn't ever do a redo.

Phil told me one time, , that he hated their California King bed, because he missed being able to reach out and touch her.

oh....

💓💕💖💘

Dang!

The only reason I might have used her as a comic sidekick (in the description to Barb) was because she would laugh at herself too!

And she really wasn't all that bossy.

(shhhhhheeee really was. shhhhhhhh)

(having lunch in Capitoal, CA with my favorite in-laws and my 3 sons. Can you guess which one is the middle child?)

And that is recipe #326 from the Friday Friend Cookbook Countdown.

Getting closer all the time.

Friday friend recipe #325–Tomi’s spaghetti 15 Jan 2023 2:27 AM (2 years ago)

I must get this done! At least to prove something to myself if not the Handyman...

because...

...about 22 years ago, 50 of my closest friends and family, who had been on an

e-mail forum with me, sent in recipes in different categories and we compiled a cookbook.

I decided to count those down!

Why?

because one night I was looking thru the cookbook and I said, "I should make every recipe in here for my blog."

The Handyman/Mayor, who thinks he knows me better than I know myself, said "you'll never EVER do that."

Well, maybe I will! Maybe I'll show him!

Which brings us to Tomi's 'Easy Easy Spaghetti Sauce'

Tomi does not drink, but I do, and spaghetti sauce just seems to beg for red wine, doesn't it?

Too bad I don't drink red wine.

I don't know what else to say about pasta and meat sauce. It's good. You can't go bad, putting the two together.

It's like the corn song ---

--for me, I really like pasta. It's pasta! It has the chew--have you ever seen anything more beautiful?

It's pasta--I mean look at this thing--long thin noodles with sauce.

It's got the sauce!

You get the drift, right? Now I hope the corn song is not stuck in your head.

But pasta---it's the most beautiful thing.

And Tomi-- well, this is her last post in the cookbook countdown.

This is her 6th recipe. You can check out all her stories and recipes right here. Just click.

LAST POST THO---LAST POST!

I'm saying goodbye to my friends!

Yeah, go ahead and roll your eyes, the Handyman did.

So on to a story.

Tomi and her husband Stuart where game playing friends--board games, cards, etc.

We were all young, we were all poor, we all had small children, whom we just put to bed in at each other's houses. We couldn't afford babysitting and believe it or not, (when you see the photos) we weren't drinking. Well, Tomi wasn't drinking--the rest of us? Who knows. This is too far back to remember.

It was circa 1984.

We had a murder mystery party. Do you remember when they were all the rage in the 80's?

There were 8 suspects, so Tomi invited 4 couples. The sad part is that I can't remember who the 4th couple was/is.

The other two, still friends to this day.

Murder was afoot at the class reunion!

The suspects were:

The preppy and the nerd

(Stuart and Tomi)

The 'pregnant' cheerleader and the hood

(Dink and Cash)

(he really was a naughty bad-boy)

Hood later married pregnant cheerleader and they had another child and lived happily ever after.

The teacher and the floozy

(Rich/Handyman and me/debbie)

The girls

and I feel so bad at not remembering the girl on the right.

Man! This really happens at reunions, right?

(I was most likely that girl, so I only went to one reunion)

That 'hood' that 'rebel without a cause' thought he was so cool!

Too cool to show his face.

Tomi the perky/preppy school spirit girl, looks the part.

And look, the hood/bad boy is drinking! I think that is a beer in his hand anyway.

Fast forward 20 years and here are Tomi and Dink again.

Fast forward another 20 years (OMG!! how did that happen? 40 years in a flash.) None of us live in the same town anymore. We are apart by miles, but distance is just distance, it's not separation, because in our minds we've never really left each other.

Hmmm.... that sounds a lot like dementia. Well, 40 years, who knows!?

But good friends are good friends are good friends!

I'm glad to have them.

And that, my friends is recipe #325.

Happy Eating!

323 and 324 Friday friend countdown 10 Jan 2023 3:26 AM (2 years ago)

Making my way thru my Friday Friend Cookbook, one recipe at a time.

What is the Friday Friend cookbook? I once had about 50 of my closest friends and family (from all over the county) on an e-mail forum which I called the Friday Friends. At first, most of them didn't know each other, (they knew me) but over the past 21 years, we've answered and shared silly--and serious---questions, exchanged Secret Santa Christmas gifts, had a dieting contest in which we paid a $1 a week and that money went to a scholarship fund for a Friday Friends son's memorial scholarship, and we went on a great vacation for my 52 birthday. (plus so much more....)

AND, we contributed recipes for a cookbook.

Which brings me to these... recipes #323 and #324

My Mom's Long Island Iced Tea and Honey Mustard Chicken

This is what we do when we're waiting for dinner (Honey Mustard Chicken) to bake--we drink Long Island Iced Tea and play cards.

And we do it no matter what is cooking. In the winter, we play at the dining room table, in the summer on the patio table.

I don't know if I've said this before, but, my family (mom's side) were huge card players and my mom jokes about being conceived while her parents played cribbage.

We have no way of knowing if this is true or not as her parents are deceased. As is she.

No one to corroborate the story.

BUT I do know that I remember staying at their (my grandparents) house and waking up to the sound of cards being shuffled--because they played cribbage every morning at breakfast. So, she has a persuasive argument.

I once, tried playing cribbage every morning with the Mayor (handyman, husband, honey--I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO CALL HIM. ANYMORE!)

Anyway, it didn't work well because he was still working, and we ran out of morning time.

It defeats the purpose of fun, when you are yelling up the stairs every morning--get down here we have to play cribbage now!!

The Handyman and I play cards together a lot.

But none of our kids were conceived while doing so.

In my family, this game is called Nertz. But if you are in the Friday Friend Cookbook editor's family (remember Barbara Brown originally typed these all up) it is called Bolshevik.

There are a few slight differences, but none that matter.

Playing cards passes the time, while waiting for meals.

And imbibing a bit is okay too!

There is a lot of alcohol involved in Long Island Iced teas.

So much alcohol!

And the funny thing is, my mom never drank when I was little.

She would order orange juice so people would thing she was having a drink--because back in the day, people could not let you get by without a drink in your hand. (It seemed un-hospitable or something. different times--what can I say?) So, she was an orange juice drinker.

Then, in the middle of my high school years, something happened, and she discovered 'slow gin' and 'peach schnapps' and drank things called 'slow screws' and 'fuzzy navels'.

She still was never a huge drinker, and it was rare to see her overindulge, but there are a couple of times I remember, and those were funny.

Maybe not as funny as this time?

I came across these photos when I was searching for a story about my mom.

She was always one for a celebration! Not sure if this was for the Fourth of July

Memorial Day

President's Day

Flag Day

Labor Day

Veterans Day

Their hockey team was "The Tri-City Americans" and they did sell 50/50 tickets with their friends during intermission, and they might have had a little too much fun. And they might have dressed up in costume? Who knows.

And now there is no one to ask.

The thing is--- I now have this 'costume' in my dresser drawer.

I've never known what to do with it exactly. When or where to wear it.

I wish I could ask my mom.

**WAIT A MINUTE! Look, my mom has her "orange juice" glass front and center. It's like she's mocking me.

Hmmmm---did I fall for the old "I don't drink I'm just having orange juice" line all my life??

😁

My mom has 48 recipes in the Cookbook Countdown so far,

only a couple more of hers to go (because you know I'm doing a slow roll to the finish line) and you can check them out here. (click here)

These are recipes #323 and 324.

I have 26 more to make to complete the cookbook countdown--anc counting the 8 I have in drafts--you'll only be seeing 34 more posts from me.

Probably only 24, as I double up sometimes.

But as Rich (the mayor, handyman, husband) reminded me tonight--until the next time you count them.

Have a good night!

Friday Friend Cookbook Countdown, Recipe #322, Violet's lasagna 22 Dec 2022 6:20 PM (2 years ago)

My Friday Friend Cookbook Countdown #322

My wonderful friend of 50 years, Theda's crockpot lasagna

and you know all the whys and wherefores of this countdown, right? Homemade cookbook, friends contributed, Handyman said I couldn't/wouldn't do it, I'll show him, yadda yadda yadda....

...and the rest is cookbook history!

Just remember, the countdown is not all about pretty food and food design---it's about the people and the stories.

And (the most important thing) proving my husband wrong--and that I can and WILL make every recipe in this cookbook

I have to tell you that I was hesitant to make this one---I always worry about the noodles not cooking. But they did and it was fast

(to put together), easy and good.

I later made it for my son's family one afternoon while watching the grandkids.

They loved it too--or were just happy not to have to worry about dinner when they got home from work.

I made this lasagna earlier this fall while we were up at our cabin. (I always make a FF cookbook countdown when we are at our cabin in the fall)

I decided to ask Theda who Violet was. I mean, I know practically her whole family, but couldn't recollect Violet.

(please disregard the top of my screen shot--I was getting a notification and didn't notice it. NOR did I edit before uploading here. Oh well.. start with Who is Violet..)

Freddy Fender cookbook! hahahaha!

I really need to stop voice texting.

Truly tho, this is super easy and super good.

Theda. My oldest friend. (I love to say that) if you want to know why I love to say that, go back and reread my "Theda" posts.

click here

Because I'm tired of telling you every time I post one of her recipes.

Geez. I tell you every single time.

Go read. Go ahead.

😉

This is her 17th post, but I think 20th recipe in the countdown.

Sometimes I double up.

Anyway, Theda, my oldest friend (did you go back and read?), sometimes I run out of stories.

(and sometimes you might think the stories are too long, or too personal, but it's my book, my countdown and my memories. So there! Who really reads this anyway?)

I was going to talk about what a great cook she is--or the time we went to a culinary class together, or the time we skipped school and also called in to work that 'her uncle lost his false teeth' (story for another time) so we couldn't come to work either, or the time she missed my parents 50th wedding anniversary party because she was stuck up on a mountain top when the tram broke down (up at the cabin/lake--where I made this lasagna) (she of course, made friends with all the other strandees and traded addresses, for post cards, I'm sure) She is the post card queen after all.

BUT I thought I would share her Christmas card with you instead.

Theda and her husband John, recently went on a gazillion day cruise from Seattle, down the west coast of the US and Mexico thru the Panama Canal and then spent time on some Caribbean Islands and time in Florida before jetting out with the hurricane on their heels.

(really, it was on their heels, flights cancelled trying to get out of Orlando, no cars to rent.. They finally made it tho--in a round about way)

Her Christmas card is great! Such good photos of she and John at every port.

Remember above when I said she was the postcard queen?

It's true--- here are snippet samples of our texts while she was on her gazillion day vacation:

(all this makes my heart smile so much!)

me back to her--in blue

She had a spread sheet--no kidding.

She really is the Queen! The Queen of postcards.

And I love it.

Love them.

Love her.

But besides postcards, besties can also keep in touch thru other ways.....

...would you believe bathrooms?

Her vacation seen thru the potty--

The next day

I'm going to add one more cute little bathroom photo of Theda.

It's Theda--at the cabin.

In the bathroom.

We were in high school.

But see how this comes around?

Theda. recipe. I cook it at the cabin. Theda, bathroom photos. Theda in bathroom photo at cabin.

I'm so good at this!

😜

(it was summer 1976--began her fascination of bathroom photos, I guess. LOL

Yes, I deliberately placed a white paper in the bottom right of the photo--she might have had a towel on, she might not have. We were 17--and 3 teenagers off for a vacation-- the first time ever--alone. Of course, my grandparents were 12 miles away, in town, but we were at the lake! FREEDOM!

Hot curlers in our hair--putting on make-up, getting ready to go meet some boys!

and I had to get this developed at a one-hour photo place.

No digital back then! so of course, she had a towel wrapped around her, right?

Except our friend Sherry worked at Washington Photo One Hour photo service, so she did the developing. That's Sherry right up there---Sherry would never have developed anything other than

G-rated.

Right?

Anyway, this is recipe #322

The Friday Friends View RSS

The end 6 Jan 10:13 PM (3 months ago)

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Friday friend recipe number #331 Chicken Cheese Enchiladas 27 Feb 2023 6:48 PM (2 years ago)

Friday friend recipes 328 329 and 330 Linda’s Spaghetti Sauce, Shrimp and Chicken in Wine Sauce and Spinach Terrific 18 Feb 2023 9:34 PM (2 years ago)

Friday friend blog number 327--Bourbon Slush 27 Jan 2023 9:48 PM (2 years ago)

Friday recipe 326--Homemade Rootbeer 17 Jan 2023 11:36 PM (2 years ago)

Friday friend recipe #325–Tomi’s spaghetti 15 Jan 2023 2:27 AM (2 years ago)

323 and 324 Friday friend countdown 10 Jan 2023 3:26 AM (2 years ago)

Friday Friend Cookbook Countdown, Recipe #322, Violet's lasagna 22 Dec 2022 6:20 PM (2 years ago)