Friday Friend Recipe #88 -- Broccoli Salad (number one)

Friday Friend Recipe #88: Broccoli Salad (#1)

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

What is the Friday Friend cookbook: I have about 50 of my closest friends and family on an e-mail forum which I called the Friday Friends (from all over the county). 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."
WELL---maybe I'll show him!  Maybe I will.

 

Which brings me to this... recipe #88

 

My 

Broccoli Salad

Everybody has a  version of this broccoli salad.

I know, because there are 5 of them in this cookbook!

You can always find it in a deli case too. At least in the deli's around here.

I have made it for a holiday dinner as well as a backyard bbq (as  you can see above---in the same exact photo I posted for the Korean Chicken)

For the holidays I might switch out the raisins for cranberries. 

Broccoli Salad

by me

2 lbs fresh broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces

1 bunch sliced green onions

1/2  of a 15oz box of raisins

1/2 cup shelled sunflower seeds

8 slices crisp bacon, crumbled

1 cup mayo

1 T. cider vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

Combine first 5 ingredients in large bowl.

Combine next 3, mixing well.

Toss all together and chill for 2 hours or overnight.

Now this is the part I hate.....when it comes to me...the choosing of the photo.

I don't hate it when I am counting down my Friday Friends and putting up a photo of them, but you do know it's really hard to do for yourself, right?

I don't love photos of myself-- and yet, I post a lot of me when I am with my Friday Friends, writing their stories!   

They've taken all the decent photos of me!

I am going to post this 'non' decent picture of the Handyman and myself and two of our grandchildren.  We happened to be visiting them in Arizona over Halloween in October.  It's a bit blurry, but it's one of the few with me in it.  I am usually the picture taker.   

But, heck 'blurry' makes me look younger!!

The Handyman, me, a bumblebee and Luigi.

The history of the Friday Friend, has been me asking them questions--like a topic of the day.  I haven't done this for about 5 years now (everything runs its course), but today, I decided to ask them for a funny story of me.  I figure I can compile them to use for my future recipes.

I will go in order.

Jolina wrote me back:

Your story about not being able to go to lunch is pretty good.

I don't know why they laugh at me!  

I am just not a spur of the moment person.

If someone asks me to lunch today for TODAY, I have a difficult time of it. 

It is not on my list.

I live by a list.

My list (even if it's in my head)  --home for lunch, peanut butter sandwich and READ MY BOOK.

I have a very difficult time of it, when someone disturbs my "reading" time.

(troubles only fellow bookworms understand).

I LOVE MY FRIENDS.

I LOVE lunch.

I just need you to invite me for tomorrow.  That way I can put it on my list and LOOK FORWARD to it.

Okay, I have been known to say  "no thank you, I can't today",  and then hang up the phone and think about it---process it---and call them back and accept if they are still willing.

(this is a true story!!)

Thank you Jolina for making me describe how anal I am.

That's my story!

And Friday Friend Recipe #88!

The Oregon Trail/It's Monday, What are you Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week.  It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile!

It's Monday is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date.

I've fallen behind and now I need to post about 6 books before the end of the year.

When you last left me---It was Nonfiction November--at least in my book blogging world. And while I joined in all the challenges and posts (it was a great fun-filled month), I didn't get a chance to finish  this  book until last night ( I read half and set it down when we had company and picked it up again a few days ago):

From Goodreads:

In the bestselling tradition of Bill Bryson and Tony Horwitz, Rinker Buck's "The Oregon Trail" is a major work of participatory history: an epic account of traveling the 2,000-mile length of the Oregon Trail the old-fashioned way, in a covered wagon with a team of mules--which hasn't been done in a century--that also tells the rich history of the trail, the people who made the migration, and its significance to the country. 

Spanning 2,000 miles and traversing six states from Missouri to the Pacific Ocean, the Oregon Trail is the route that made America. In the fifteen years before the Civil War, when 400,000 pioneers used it to emigrate West--historians still regard this as the largest land migration of all time--the trail united the coasts, doubled the size of the country, and laid the groundwork for the railroads. The trail years also solidified the American character: our plucky determination in the face of adversity, our impetuous cycle of financial bubbles and busts, the fractious clash of ethnic populations competing for the same jobs and space. Today, amazingly, the trail is all but forgotten. 
Rinker Buck is no stranger to grand adventures. "The New Yorker "described his first travel narrative, "Flight of Passage," as "a funny, cocky gem of a book," and with "The Oregon Trail "he seeks to bring the most important road in American history back to life. At once a majestic American journey, a significant work of history, and a personal saga reminiscent of bestsellers by Bill Bryson and Cheryl Strayed, the book tells the story of Buck's 2,000-mile expedition across the plains with tremendous humor and heart. He was accompanied by three cantankerous mules, his boisterous brother, Nick, and an "incurably filthy" Jack Russell terrier named Olive Oyl. Along the way, Buck dodges thunderstorms in Nebraska, chases his runaway mules across miles of Wyoming plains, scouts more than five hundred miles of nearly vanished trail on foot, crosses the Rockies, makes desperate fifty-mile forced marches for water, and repairs so many broken wheels and axels that he nearly reinvents the art of wagon travel itself. Apart from charting his own geographical and emotional adventure, Buck introduces readers to the evangelists, shysters, natives, trailblazers, and everyday dreamers who were among the first of the pioneers to make the journey west. With a rare narrative power, a refreshing candor about his own weakness and mistakes, and an extremely attractive obsession for history and travel, "The Oregon Trail" draws readers into the journey of a lifetime.

From Me:

I loved this book.

Can I steal from my friend JoAnn at Lakeside Musing and just say it was an entertaining combination of history and adventure?

That pretty much says it all.

I would recommend this book without any reservation at all.

To be frank, I got very sentimental at the end of the book--that author ended his route at a place in Oregon that we pass a few times each  year, and I never knew I was so close to history!   I guess I just never thought about it---we don't pay much attention to what is in our own backyards.

The original wagon ruts are still there, near Baker City, Oregon.  On our next trip thru, we are stopping and standing on part of the original Oregon Trail!

There was so much about this book that was 'sentimental' for me.  I live in the west and this book was all about--heading that way!

My great-grandparents came out on a covered wagon and homesteaded in north-east Oregon---not far from Baker City.

When we were newly married we lived in Walla Walla, Washington, the  home of the Whitman Mission--Narcissa Whitman was mentioned more than once in the book.

And the kindness and the generosity and hospitality of the western people mentioned by the author was very gracious.

So, yes, I did get sentimental at the end of the book.

Oh...and I have a crush on mules now.

Thanks JoAnn for reading the book and bringing it to my attention.

4 stars!

Friday Friend Recipe #87 -- Korean Chicken

 

 

 

 

 

Friday Friend Recipe #87: Korean Chicken

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

What is the Friday Friend cookbook: I have about 50 of my closest friends and family on an e-mail forum which I called the Friday Friends (from all over the county). 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."
WELL---maybe I'll show him!  Maybe I will.

 

Which brings me to this... recipe #87

 

My Mom's

Korean Chicken

 

 

 

 

It might looked burnt.  But it's not burnt.  It's just highly crispy.

(I was trusting the Handyman with the grill/recipe.)

It tastes great tho.  It's a great marinade that my mom used the whole time we were growing up.

That's what this recipe is---just a marinade.

When I was little my mom and the neighbor would share the marinade.

This was in the 1960's/70's before we knew much about food borne illness, etc.

My mom would make the marinade and the chicken would have to sit for 24 hours in it.  So, she'd call the neighbor Joyce in the morning and say "I'm making Korean Chicken tonight if you want to come get the marinade when I'm done.  "  And after supper, Joyce would come get the big Tupperware container of marinade and take it home and use it. 

Vica-Versa when Joyce made it.

It's a wonder we're still alive.  I mean with that and the old coffee can full of bacon grease at my grandma's house! 

 

 

Korean Chicken

4 lbs chicken cut up into pieces

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup sugar

2 T. oil

1/4 t. pepper

1 t. hot sauce (like Tabasco)

Dash--garlic salt, onion salt and accent

Combine all the marinade ingredients and add the chicken. Marinate for at least 4 hours, or even overnight. Bake, uncovered at 325 for 1 1/2 hours

 

 

My mom usually baked the chicken in the oven and it would look like this:

(there was no skin on this. AND there is white rice there, you just can't see it on the white plate)

 

 

 

I made and blogged about this recipe in Sept. 2008.

See that post here.

 

The funny thing is--I said I was going to make every recipe in the FF cookbook way back then:

It's only a marinade really, but when I was young it was always the "dish", the "dinner" (or supper, depending on where you're from) and we all came running when my mom was making it.... just smelling it cooking now brings back all kinds of great memories.

And it's the simplist thing in the world.
For some reason, we never had the marinade on any other type of meat. Chicken was it. It was "Korean Chicken", never chicken with the Korean (which I'm sure it isn't) marinade.
To be honest, I haven't made this in years, but I plan on making every recipe in the "Friday Friend" cookbook, and my mom sent this one in and when I saw it, it brought me back to my childhood... which was oh so long ago.
This dish is pretty much a 'comfort food' for me. We always had it with steaming hot white rice and fresh peas, which is what you see me doing here.

 

TOO FUNNY!  I gave up on the white rice and peas I guess.

Here is a photo of me and the Handyman and my mom and dad---not at a Korean restaurant, but a Chinese restaurant about 10 years ago.

It's my favorite Chinese restaurant in the whole world -- it still has the big red velvet booths, as it did when I was a kid.



That will be my mom's story for this time.

Sharing marinade for chicken!

This will be her 12th appearance in the Friday Friend Countdown, you can see all twelve of her recipes here.

 

 

I had a backyard bbq in Sept and invited a few friends over.

It was a Friday Friend Cookbook menu.

Sausage Stars

Korean Chicken

Broccoli Salad

and other non-FF cookbook stuff like fruit and asparagus.

I LOVE that they are willing to be my Guinea Pigs!

Thanks friends!!

 

I make them eat out in the middle of the yard.

I just like to.

 

 

 

And that is number 87!

Sunday Post #5

 

 

This is my Sunday Post #5

The Sunday Post is a meme hosted by Kimba at Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

(I  just noticed that it is her 190th Sunday Post---this is my 5th.  I've always been late to the game.....sigh)

 

I have been kind of missing in action on the blog front.  I wish I could be like so many of you and post on  regular basis, but .....  ?

I haven't even posted my round up for Nonfiction November!  (it was the best blogging/book time of the year.  I had so much fun)

 

Thanksgiving came and went---and now the first week of December is over.

Last night we had our Christmas Parade--- It's a Candyland Christmas.  And where I work (The Chamber of Commerce) we are in charge of that.  I have to be honest---I feel a little bit like Natalie Wood in the Miracle on 34th Street.  It's always such a fun time and so magical to be in the background of the parade on the night it takes place.  Everyone's so festive and full of the Christmas Spirit!    But at the same time, I'm SO GLAD it's over.

Now to finish my Christmas shopping, wrapping, mailing, and a little bit of baking.

 

 

Last week on the blog?

1. ONE. 

One post!

 

Friday  Friend Recipe #86 -- Sausage Stars

 

 

What have I been doing this past week?

Work!  We are in the middle of Board of Director Elections.

This is always an anxious time for me, as my bosses change every year. 

Getting ready for the parade.

Trying to read books for my book clubs.

Realizing that I am very behind on Christmas gift buying.

 

We just started watching Arrow on Netflix.

We don't have cable or DirectTV.  I had assumed when we made this decision last year, that we would be PBS watchers and read all the time. (which we do our fair share of...but)

We have become Netflix junkies and get very involved in marathon watching new series every once in a while.

 

I am listening to Christmas music.  One is either a lover or a hater of Christmas music.  I am a lover of.  Right now I have the Boston Pops Orchestra Holiday station on Pandora, but I've also discovered I really like Blake Shelton.  I don't even like country music!

But I do like music.  A lot.

 

Before I leave you for the week (on the Sunday Post at least) (and without telling you any books I'm reading)

I have to share a few pictures from the Turkey Trot that we did on Thanksgiving morning.

We woke up to some snow and 19 degrees out.

I had registered a family team of 10.

These two were the only brave ones who got up and out with Gram and Granddad. (that would be me and the Handyman)

 

 

 

 

The  Up and ATT 'Em Turkey Trot is to raise Alzheimer's Awareness.

My mom had Alzheimer's---she has passed away, but today, December 6th is her birthday. (just had to give a shout out to her!)

These two grandchildren of mine have lost 2 great-grandmother's to Alzheimer's.

We  like to remember them in a positive way like this.

Emerson wanted to do the 5k.  (we had a choice of 3k, 5k, and 8k)  I think we ended up doing our own 2k. It was COLD.  But we WON! And that was Eli's goal.

 

The Handyman looks like a popsicle!

 

My friend Shelly, me and the grandkids!

(Shelly's the one making the new Friday Friend Cookbook for me!)

 Shelly's family----complete with Sierra the Dog in her Turkey Trot shirt!

 

Sierra is always game for a dress up!

Her she is at the Hillbilly Traveling Cocktail party of 5 years ago!

And the best thing this week was our Friday Night Friends meal!

Seafood!!

I'll get back to books soon!!

Have a great week!

Friday Friend Recipe #86 -- Sausage Stars

Friday Friend Recipe #86: Sausage Stars

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

What is the Friday Friend cookbook: I have about 50 of my closest friends and family on an e-mail forum which I called the Friday Friends (from all over the county). 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."
WELL---maybe I'll show him!  Maybe I will.

 

Which brings me to this... recipe #86

 

Traci's:

Sausage Stars

These are THE BEST!!

They will make you the STAR of the party!    

(I'm so clever!!  The star of the party--snort! )

They look so fancy!

These were the perfect little appetizer!  Loved by all.

Sausage Stars

submitted by FF Traci Marques

Los Banos, CA

1 lb cooked, crumbled sausage

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar

1 1/2 cups shredding jack cheese

1 cup prepared ranch dressing

1 can (2.25 oz ) chopped olives

1/2 cup chopped red pepper

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 pkg. fresh or frozen won ton wrappers

vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350F. Brown sausage. Blot dry & combine w/cheeses, salad dressing, olives, pepper and onion. Lightly grease a mini muffin tin and press 1 wrapper in each cup.  Brush won ton lightly with oil. Bake 5 minutes till golden brown.  Remove from tins and place on baking sheet. Fill with sausage mixture and bake 5 more minutes, until bubbly.  

Makes 4-5 dozen minis

(you can eliminate baking sheet, leave in muffin cups and add mixture and bake)

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

You can tell by the photos that it was warm and sunny when I snapped these photos.

I am almost 20 recipes ahead (or behind?)  of what I am posting.  I'm just slow on the posting lately.

This time I invited friends over for a backyard bbq and proceeded to make everything from the Friday Friend Cookbook.

They were my experiments,or whatever you would call them. My GUINEA PIGS! That's it!

When you have people over and have to take pictures of your food, you get good leg shots, like this one below!

Anyway,  I began my FF cookbook dinner with these little appetizers by Traci.

(see all her recipes here)

Followed by a broccoli  salad by me. (post coming soon)

Grilled Korean Chicken by my mom (post coming soon)

Soooo... Traci. Hmmm.

Her's was the very first recipe I made for this challenge.

We talk about food most every day.

(crap--what does that say about us?)

This is my Traci story ---

in 2006, around the 1st of December I was having a conversation with my FF's about Christmas drinks. 

Tom and Jerry's

Hot Buttered Rum

Hot Chocolate

Egg Nog

Notice Traci's answer at the end.  

She said neither!  

and I said she was weird.  and then told everyone she doesn't do dairy products.

It's true!  She doesn't.

She IS weird.

She's not even lactose intolerant.  She just doesn't like them.

Who doesn't like ice-cream for heavens sake?

Or real butter melting down into the crevices of a hot English muffin?

Or a glass of ice-cold milk with a warm chocolate chip cookie?

Traci!  That's who!

(she knows I'm only teasing) 

I don't think she is that weird.  Only a little.

And that is my fun fact about Traci today.

It appears that I should be more worried about Theda and her drinking problem.  (see top correspondence in the previous photo)

Here is a picture of me and Traci, taken about 10 or so years ago.

PS.   A couple of  FF Cookbook posts ago....  I wrote this:

It's not a fancy cookbook---you've seen it.   A plain notebook.  Maybe I should have another Friday Friend make me a fancy one?

(this one will fall apart before long)

Shelly wrote me and said:  You know…we (I) could “Shutterfly” the Friday Friend cookbook for you.  Scan the recipes, get photos from you, copy/paste your stories, etc.  Just let me know if/when you want me to start on this.  J

I just have one thing to say:

YAHOO!!! 

Shelly has officially entered into the Friday Friend Cookbook Hall of Fame!  (with me and Barb)

Traci, when I told her this, said "no pictures of me"

I said, "but Traci, this cookbook is for me only"

She said,  "but you don't want pictures of me in it"

I guess she doesn't realize that her pictures are already on the blog.  Shhhhh----don't tell her.

1.Why is it that we  never like our own photos?

2. Egg Nog or hot chocolate for you?

3.  Hot Buttered Rum or Tom and Jerrys for you?