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Remember those??? Remember burning yourself on the oven and pan?





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​Frankly I don't remember my Ma (or anybody's Ma) ever being this excited to help kids shrink dinks in the oven in the 70s. :)

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But hey, at least those same 70s parents made up for it by letting us kids blow giant super elastic bubble plastic balloons that I'm sure had
​no toxicity in them whatsoever.

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Roasted Garlic and Red Pepper Soup
​From Better Homes and Gardens Soups & Stews Publication 2016
Ingredients

• 2 whole garlic bulbs
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 tablespoon snipped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 large red sweet peppers
• 1/3 cup firmly packed stemmed fresh parsley sprigs
• 1/3 cup firmly packed stemmed fresh basil leaves
• 1 fresh jalapeno chile pepper, seeded and chopped* Angie's note: Use only 1/2 jalapeno for kids
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• Bottled hot pepper sauce
• 1 32 ounce carton chicken broth
• 1/2 cup half-and-half or light cream
• Shredded fresh basil (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Cut off the top 1/2 inch of the garlic bulbs to expose ends of individual cloves. Leaving garlic bulbs whole, remove any loose, papery outer layers. Place bulbs, cut ends up, and onion in a small baking dish. Sprinkle with rosemary; drizzle with oil. Quarter sweet peppers lengthwise; remove stems, seeds, and membranes. Place peppers, cut sides down, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Roast garlic,onion, and sweet peppers for 20 to 25 minutes or until garlic feels soft when squeezed and peppers are charred and very tender.
2. Bring foil up around peppers and fold edges together to enclose. Let stand about 15 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Using a sharp knife, loosen edges of skins; gently pull off skins in strips and discard. When garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze garlic paste from individual cloves. Discard skins.
3. In a blender or food processor combine garlic paste, onion, sweet peppers, parsley, basil leaves, jalapeno pepper, black pepper, crushed red pepper, and hot pepper sauce. Cover and blend or process until nearly smooth. Add 1 cup of the broth; cover and blend or process until smooth.
4. Pour pureed mixture into a large saucepan. Stir in the remaining broth and the half-and-half. Cook over medium-low heat until warm. If desired, top servings with shreded basil.

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A bowl of yummy smoky, roasted sweet peppers
just waiting to go into soup.

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Because I have attention issues, I arranged everything on the counter in an effort to stay focused when blending the ingredients in the correct order.

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So basically all that arranging was a waste of time, you pretty much throw everything in the blender at the same time except the chicken stock.
By the way, throw the stock in the blender at this time too, otherwise the blender will just gum up with the peppers and such.

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And this is the base for your soup!

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This is me.  In my pink cape.
​c 1972 ish
My mom made this. It was lined with a white satin type of material if I remember correctly. 
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Oh how I loved it!

I mean LOVED it.

Wore it everywhere.

Look at those buttons, so cute!!

It looks like I have a button on the end of my nose and am hoarding them in my cheeks too.

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​I love the jelly roll pattern, so fun and fresh.
I asked mom for bright oranges, turquoises, yellows, greens, you know, happy colors! 

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Here's the real kicker though,
Ma does all her own quilting, too!
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​Now my Ma is not a flashy or flamboyant person at all,
​she's very modest and humble,
​especially when it comes to the beautiful work she does.




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Roasted Red Pepper and Prosciutto Stuffed Chicken
​Straight outta www.skinnytaste.com
Go straight to the Skinnytaste website to print off the recipe!

Ingredients:

• 8 thin chicken cutlets, 3 oz each
• 4 (2.8 oz) slices thin lean prosciutto, sliced in half
• 4 slices reduced fat provolone or mozzarella, sliced in half (Sargento)
• 8 slices (2.5 oz) roasted peppers (packed in water or homemade)
• 24 fresh baby spinach leaves (about 1 oz)
• 1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1 lemon, juice of
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• salt and fresh pepper
• olive oil non-stick spray

Directions:
Wash and dry the chicken cutlets well with paper towels. 
Combine breadcrumbs in one bowl and in a second bowl mix the olive oil, lemon juice, and pepper.
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Lightly spray a baking dish with non-stick spray.
Place each cutlet on a work surface such as a cutting board and lay 1/2 slice prosciutto, 1/2 slice cheese, 1 slice of roasted pepper and 3 spinach leaves on one side of the chicken cutlet.  
Roll and place seam side down on a dish (no toothpicks needed). Repeat with the remaining chicken.  
Dip the chicken in the lemon oil mix, then into the breadcrumbs to coat and place on the baking dish; when done spray the top of the chicken with olive oil or cooking spray.
Bake 25 – 30 minutes.
Serve immediately.

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I still had hope...








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Red Alert: DO NOT OVERCOOK THESE!
Disclaimer: Spoken by experience.

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Our neighbor about a mile away (as a crow flies)
farms the ground to the west of us. 

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This day was an especially warm, beautiful day in October when I heard the familiar roar of the combine.

​Tim must have heard it too, cause he left his work (he still has his work gloves on) and I left my work, and at the same time and we ran over to greet our friends.

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Lots of catching up to do in a short amount of time.

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​One of THE cutest things I've ever seen.

​The love and joy these kids have for their Grandpa exemplifies so many families....rural, urban, suburban.