vermont quiche

Vermont Quiche – four varieties

{Lindsay Russell Hastings}

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Ingredients for each quiche

5 eggs

1 cup half-and-half

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 deep dish frozen pie crust

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, half-and-half, salt and pepper.

Stir the ingredients listed below into the egg mixture for each quiche.
Leave a small handful of cheese to sprinkle on top.

Pour filling into frozen pie crust, set on a baking sheet and place in oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until set.

#1 Ham and Swiss Quiche

1 ½ cups diced ham (8oz)

½ onion diced and sautéed

1 cup swiss cheese

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

#2 Bacon and Spinach Quiche

1 ½ cup cooked bacon pieces

1 ½ cup torn baby spinach leaves

1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

#3 Sausage and Pepper Quiche

12 oz sausage cooked and crumbled

½ onion diced and sautéed

½ green diced pepper sautéed

1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

#4 Artichoke, Feta and Kalamata Olive Quiche

{my favorite}

8 oz chopped marinated artichoke quarters

½ cup sliced kalamata olives

½ cup diced sundried tomatoes

1 cup feta cheese crumbles

1 cup shredded colby-jack jack cheese

1 tsp oregano

Add a bundt cake 

and a bowl of fruit 

and you'll have brunch for 12

pioneer woman turkey

It seems I try a new turkey recipe every year

This year I adapted one from the Pioneer Woman

{minus the brining}

{photo credit: Pioneer Woman}

Roasted Thanksgiving Turkey

Ingredients

1 15 pound whole Turkey
1/2 cup (1 Stick) Butter, Softened
1 whole Orange zested
1 tsp Rosemary
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Black Pepper

Instructions
Preheat oven to 275.

Pat the turkey dry and place it on a roasting rack, breast side up. Place the peeled orange in the cavity. Cross the legs and tie them together with kitchen twine. Pour a cup of water in the bottom of the roasting pan. Cover the whole pan with heavy aluminum foil, tucking it underneath the pan.  Roast for the first stage for about 10 minutes per pound (so, for a 15 pound turkey, about 2 1/2 hours)

Using a zester or vegetable peeler, shave off thin slices of orange peel and dice them very thin. Combine with butter, rosemary, salt and pepper.

After the first stage of cooking, remove the turkey from the oven and remove the foil (turkey will still be pale.) Smear the butter mixture all over the skin, in crevices, etc so that it's totally covered.

Insert a meat thermometer into the thigh, increase the oven temperature to 350, and return the turkey to the oven, basting every 30 minutes. Continue roasting the turkey until the thermometer reads 165 to 168, then remove the turkey from the oven.

Cover loosely with clean aluminum foil until you're ready to carve.

(Save the beautiful juices from the pan to make gravy)

porch sit

This morning we are enjoying our
morning coffee on this porch.

We look forward to a relaxing few months after . . .
a summer of moving from a house we loved for 35 years

We also look forward to reconnecting with our Florida friends
and searching out new volunteer opportunities. 

Then in the late afternoons we'll replace
our coffee with a cocktail 

and soon - hoping a few

friends and family will join us for a visit 

in sunny Venice, Florida . . .

The guest room is ready

a milestone day

It has been a hectic month for us.

We sold a home that we had lived in for 35 years. 

It has been on the market for 3 years.

I think the reality of this process taking so long

lightened the emotional toll a bit. 

Friday was a bitter sweet day but we are ready to move on.

Our daughter summed up our feelings so well

“Congratulations!
A new family gets the beautiful house, but we get to keep the beautiful memories.  Tonight, we'll raise a glass to: babies home from the hospital, first steps, birthday parties, first day of school pictures, Thanksgivings with all the cousins, Christmas decorations, busy mornings before school, dinner with the boys on the bench, thousands of sleepovers, WoW gatherings, graduation parties, home-from-college visits, jet-lagged grandbabies, pool days, picnic parties, long porch sits, & so many more.

We couldn't have asked for a better home.”

mountains

When you live just south of 

Lake Ontario things are pretty flat

so sometimes I pretend the 

marine layer clouds are mountains

reboot

Almost everything will work again 

if you unplug it for a few minutes, 

including you. {ann lamott}

autumn

some things I love about fall

fast food salad

Recently we bought fast food salads to 

take on two different last minute picnics.

First ones were from McDonald's ($5), second ones from Wendy's ($6.99). 

For the record, we think the McDonald’s salads were 

tastier and far fresher than the Wendy’s salads.

Do you have a favorite fast food salad?
Reader suggestions:
Christine - Subway Chopped Salad
Dayle - Chick-Fil-A
Cindy - Zaxbys house fried salad

america the beautiful - senior pass

America the Beautiful - National Parks

Federal Recreational Lands Senior Pass

Currently $10 but increasing to $80 on August 27, 2017. 

Do you have yours?

America the Beautiful Senior Pass Link

airbnb

I have a friend Airbnb-ing his way through Spain and France.

This is the latest photo he posted.

I want to be there . . .

I think I need to step up
my hosting skills at our Airbnb.

Adams House {near SUNY Brockport}

wine corks

Who needs toys when Grandma Mary has wine corks.

{Opal Josephine}

crisscross credit card wallet

I have had fun making

CrissCross Credit Card Wallets

by Gena Cunha at Craftsy

You can download the free pattern from the link listed below.

I did make two changes.

I only put the fusible interfacing on the 

cover and the four squares

not on the other inner pieces.

I added the first snap (female) to the cover before sewing any pieces together.

{I also put the snap in backwards one time so be careful}

I was able to make four wallets from two fat quarter pieces.

Hint: The cover and inside pieces are about 1/8" larger than 4 1/2 ".

That makes a difference when fitting in the credit cards.

I made one at just 4 1/2 and it was a too tight.

The free pdf pattern can be downloaded here:

www.craftsy.com/sewing/patterns/crisscross-cards-tutorial/468998

summer bowling

We just purchased a Summer Bowling Pass 

to our local AMF  bowling alley

$15.95 gets us three free games every day 

through September 4th.

{$9.95 for children 15 years and younger}

A pretty good deal I's say.

Find a location near you . . .

bowlsummergames.com

For our Venice friends, you may want to consider

joining our league in November.

{details here: ccebowlingleague.weebly.com}

penne with sausage, spinach, chilies, lemon

Penne with Sausage, Spinach, Chiles & Lemon
{my favorite new recipe this spring}

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1 lb. penne rigate pasta
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. bulk pork sausage
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 oz can diced green chilies
2 cloves garlic, chopped
12 grape tomatoes cut in quarters
Lemon zest from 1 lemon
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 bunch spinach
Juice from 1 lemon
1 cup crumbled feta or ricotta salata

Preparation

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Salt the boiling water and add the pasta. Cook until al dente (about 11 minutes). Drain, reserving about 3/4 cup starchy cooking water.

2. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high. Add the sausage and cook, stirring and breaking up with a spoon, until browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the onion, chilies, garlic, tomatoes, lemon zest and oregano. Cook, stirring often, until the onion softens, about 3 minutes.

4. Add the starchy water and spinach to the sausage mixture; stir; remove from the heat. Toss in the pasta, cheese, and lemon juice.

florida 2017

Recently we were blessed to spend a week
with our four children and five grandchildren

When you are just learning to sit up a basket can help {Silas}

This little one loved our morning porch sits {Selah}

Here is one cute bathing beauty {Opal}

Just hanging out by the palm tree waiting to go to the beach {Ezra}

An evening at one of our favorite waterfront restaurants - Pops {Cedar}

A family that plays together . . .