Food Fun for Halloween

Halloween has always been a challenge for me……not only what costume to wear or make but how to keep the fun in Halloween and control the amount of sugar in my house. When my daughter was little I made special Halloween candy and had fruit available but admittedly, the fruit was plain and no fun at all. Check out these easy to re-create ideas from the  Eat Smart blog. 

Vegetable skeleton….good for adults, too! A spooky take on the vegetable platter.

I love this guy! Great idea for the kids and grown-ups. Serve with salad dressing for dipping. Great for a Halloween party table.

Clementines are yummy and sweet. Great for the kids.

There’s lots more to make and a thousand ways (or so it seems) to add sugar to the diet…..just the same, I don’t need to eat more sugar and having little ones jacked up on sugar isn’t my idea of a great time. Offering something healthy and yummy is a way to make a change.

Post by Eileen of GoofingOff Sewing….who cooks, too. The kitchen is just another place to Goof Off.

Create Magic With Every Stitch!

GoofingOff Sewing's Mid Week Rummage: Devil's Food Cake

During a recent thrifting expedition, I ventured out of the sewing pattern section into the books. I can get lost in old books. I love books, especially old ones. I love the look and feel of them. Well, I had the good fortune to find a copy of Baker’s Famous Chocolate Recipes. “What makes this special?” one might ask. This copy is from 1936 and in very good condition. The cover graphics remain sharp and the pages are not brittle. While there is light yellowing throughout the book it is in incredibly good condition.

What does chocolate cake have to do with sewing? Coffee and cake to keep you going…and chocolate is a necessary part of life.

Post by Eileen of GoofingOff Sewing.

New Listings in GoofingOff Sewing: Cook It UP

Aprons are so versatile. Great to wear while cooking....obvious...but fun for the backyard barbecue or entertaining. Good for protection when welding or doing shop work.....and it's nice to have extra pockets when doing a yard sale. Here's a few recent additions to the shop.

McCall's 8231 Men and Women's Aprons COMPLETE

McCall's 5826 Men and Women's Aprons. Red Letter Transfers included COMPLETE The pattern also includes a pot holder pattern and an oven mitt pattern. I love the reference to the movie "Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice," the so popular movie of the 60's. It starred Natalie Wood, Robert Culp, Elliot Gould, and Dyan Cannon. It was about sex...my mom wouldn't let me see it. 

McCall's 2925 Misses Apron and Pinafore in size Small COMPLETE

Post by Eileen Patterson....who is GoofingOff.  Stop by and see the latest additions to the shop.

Remember to use the coupon code BLOGGIN for your 15% discount exclusive only to blog readers.

Cooking for the Weekend

I work every other weekend and have been doing so for years. One of the best things about working on the weekend is the people I work with. We appreciate each other....our strengths, our weaknesses, our sense of humor.. We celebrate our getting to work with our peeps (as my good buddy Denise calls us) by cooking. 

This weekend I decided to make BLT Rollers, broccoli salad....and a strawberry-lime jello dessert (it's top secret).

BLT Rollers

The BLT Rollers are from a Kraft email I received. The hubby and I love to make burritos for supper but for some reason we always have 2 or 3 tortillas left over. Well, guess how many tortillas the recipe calls for? Yep, 2 big ones and I had 3 small. The recipe was made for me. 

BLT Rollers

The rollers don't look exactly like the ones from Kraft but they don't look too bad, either, and they taste pretty good.  They are easy to make.  Get the recipe HERE.

Broccoli Salad

The broccoli salad is my old standby. Very yummy, gluten free, and easy to make, too. Great for a summer get together. Making it ahead of time gives the flavors time to meld together. Recipe HERE. 

Curried Chicken Salad

The curried chicken salad is for supper. It was an inspiration from a friend's recipe and chicken salad I had at the Korbel Delicatessen in Napa, CA (at the champagne vineyard)....left over rotisserie chicken, celery, currants, Vidalia onion, almonds, mayonnaise, and curry powder. Tastes pretty good but I think I need a little more curry powder....Now all I need is a glass of champagne to go with it. As for the strawberry-lime gelatin thing.....We'll see how that goes. Jello, whipped cream, and pudding...what could go wrong? 
Oops, I think I just jinxed myself. 
Have a wonderful almost weekend Friday and a wonderful weekend. 

Post by Eileen Patterson.....who's GoofingOff

Cheers!

In the Bean Pot...Quick Starting Beans

I am amazed with my hubby...not starry-eyed amazement...more the "Really?" kind of amazement. This man who doesn't seem to hear what I say most of the time,  remembered me saying I would make a pot of venison chili during the next cold front. I said that? The venison isn't the problem since he hunts and keeps the freezer full (his job) but I wasn't ready for a pot a chili. I had some of the ingredients on hand but no cans of beans, then I remembered I had dry beans. I thought I would share a quick start method for beans just in case an overnight soak is out of the question...like in my case.

I wanted to make chili with a variety of beans....black, red, pink, pinto, and navy...all of which I had on hand....because sometimes I just don't want to go to the store and I want something different. 

I took about a 1/2 cup of each of the dried beans and put them in a pot. I picked through the beans to make sure there wasn't any stones (I found one once), then rinsed the beans in cold water.

Next I covered the beans with cold water. 

Since I was making chili and these were going to be Chili Beans (sans can...I am practicing my French) I added a little cumin and garlic to the water for seasoning.

I then brought the beans to a boil. The beans boiled about 2-5 minutes then were turned down to a simmer. The beans then simmered for about 2-3 hours until soft. That gave me time to clean up, do laundry, and all the other stuff I needed to do in the house. 

The chili meat and sauce was started separately in another pot. Everything then went into the slow cooker on high. 

The chili was ready in about 6 hours. The slow cooker gave me enough time to shop, go for a walk, and do whatever else I needed to get done outside the house. 

 The chili came out great and was a big hit with the hubby. 
The quick start isn't as fast as canned beans but the beans were awesome...and I didn't have to make a special trip to the store....which gave me more time to goof off....
Post by Eileen...who's GoofingOff.

Green Beans With a Taste of Bacon

Like many other people who cook for a family I try to make nutritious food that tastes good. Easy....but I also like economical. Take green beans for instance.... nutritious and taste wonderful fresh from the garden but the price starts to climb if you buy them at the grocer or frozen.....and they don't look near as pretty from a can.....however, canned is cheap and if the liquid is saved it can be added to a vegetable soup....but they do taste kind of yuck compared to fresh. Here is a fix I got from a friend that I think is worth sharing. 

Green Beans with a Taste of Bacon

1 pound of green beans, washed and cut into small pieces
1 small onion, diced
4 slices bacon, diced
Salt, 1/2 tp
Pepper, dash
Sugar, 1/2 tp

Heat a skillet over a medium heat. Fry the bacon. With a slotted spoon remove the bacon bits and save. Add the onions to the grease and saute until clear and glossy. Add the green beans and stir coating the beans with the grease. Add the salt, pepper, and sugar. Stir. Add the bacon bits. 
Serve.

Diced Bacon in the Skllet

diced onions

Saute onions with bacon bits

Add green beans and season.

I used a beautiful, fresh Florida onion (part of one, really) but a regular Spanish onion can be used. I just couldn't resist the Florida one at the flea market. 
The green beans in the pictures are fresh. Canned green beans can be substituted but make sure they are well drained before adding them to the skillet.

To make this recipe a little healthier:
Saute the onions in olive oil. Add the green beans. Season. Add bacon bits (an uncured brand is preferable). Stir and serve. 

P.S. That's a cast iron skillet in the pics...not burnt black. Treated well and seasoned appropriately they last a lifetime or two without things sticking. Hard to use anything else after using these babies.

Post by Eileen Patterson.....who should be sewing but is GoofingOff....again. Ha ha.

Free Crochet Pattern: Handy Mitt Potholders

I was going through my stack of vintage magazines and found this pattern in a Woman’s Day from the 1970’s.

They are called Handy Mitt Potholders and would make a great gift for the cook on your list or to keep.

Size: 8 1/2 inches from lower edge to top.

Materials: Aunt Lydia’s Heavy Rug Yarn (rayon/cotton)

For solid-color mitt: 1 (70 yard) skein each peacock No. 740 and spring green No. 605. For Striped mitt: 1 (70-yard) skein each peacock 740, spring green No. 605, brown No. 420, phantom red No. 140 and cerise No. 115. For both mitts: Aluminum crochet hook size G (or international 4.5 mm).

Gauge: in pattern st 5 groups = 3 inches, 3 rows = 1 inch.

Striped Mitt:  Starting at wrist edge with peacock, ch 17 to measure about 5 1/2 inches. 1st row: In 3rd ch from hook work 1 sc and 1 dc (1st group made), * skip next ch, in next ch work 1 sc and 1 dc. Repeat from * across (8 groups); ch 1, turn.

2nd row: *Skip dc, in next sc work 1 sc and 1 dc. Repeat from * across, ch 1, turn.

Repeat 2nd row 4 times more. 7th row: Work across in pattern, ch 3 at end of row. Mark this edge for thumb. 8th row (thumb inc): In 3rd ch from hook work 1 sc and 1 dc, continue across row in pattern as established; break off peacock, attach green; ch 1, turn.

Working in pattern with green, work even on 9 groups for 3 rows more, ending at marked edge. Do not ch 1 at end of last row. Break off green, turn.

Next row; Make lp on hook with brown. Skip 1st 2 groups, work 1 sc and 1 dc in sc of next group, continue across in pattern to end of row (7 groups); ch 1, turn. Working even in pattern on 7 groups, work 1 row more with brown, 3 rows with red and 3 rows cerise.

Next row (dec row): With cerise, work in pattern across to within last group, work 1 sc in sc of last group; ch 1, turn. Following row (dec row): Skip 1st sc, work 1 sc and 1 dc in sc of next group, work in pattern across to within last group, work 1 sc in sc of last group; ch 1 turn. Repeat last row twice more, omitting ch 1 at end of last row. Break off.

Thumb: 1st row: Make lp on hook with brown. Starting at outer edge, work in pattern st across free green sts (2 groups); ch 1, turn. Continue in pattern on these 2 groups only for 3 rows more. 5th row (dec row): Skip 1st de, draw up lp in each of next 3 sts, y o hook and draw through all lps on hook. Break off. With brown, work 1 row sc evenly on all edges of thumb sts. only. Break off.

Second Side of Mitt: Make another pieces in same manner.

Finishing: Edging: with red, work 1 row sc all around edges, except wrist edge, of both pieces. Joining: With red, sew both pieces together from the right side. Wrist Edging: With red, work around wrist edge as follows: Work 2 sc in each sc around. Break off. Loop: Attach red with sl st to wrist at seam edge and crochet 2 inch chain. Sl st in each st of ch. Sew end of ch to mitten to form loop.

Solid Color Mitt: First side of Mitt: Using only peacock: work as for striped mitt.

Second side of Mitt: Using only green, make another piece in same manner.

Finishing: Using only green, work as for striped mitt for edging, wrist edging, joining and loop.

A pattern like this can be modernized using “now” colors and different yarn. Try two strands of thick eco-friendly cotton yarn or maybe make your own yarn out of old t-shirts.

Post by GoofingOff

Peace, love, and Happy Stitching!

Free Mitt Potholders Pattern: Gift to Crochet

I was going through my stack of vintage magazines and found this pattern in a Woman’s Day from the 1970’s. 

They are called Handy Mitt Potholders and would make a great last minute gift for the cook on your list.

Size: 8 1/2 inches from lower edge to top.

Materials: Aunt Lydia’s Heavy Rug Yarn (rayon/cotton)

For solid-color mitt: 1 (70 yard) skein each peacock No. 740 and spring green No. 605. For Striped mitt: 1 (70-yard) skein each peacock 740, spring green No. 605, brown No. 420, phantom red No. 140 and cerise No. 115. For both mitts: Aluminum crochet hook size G (or international 4.5 mm).

Gauge: in pattern st 5 groups = 3 inches, 3 rows = 1 inch.

Striped Mitt:  Starting at wrist edge with peacock, ch 17 to measure about 5 1/2 inches. 1st row: In 3rd ch from hook work 1 sc and 1 dc (1st group made), * skip next ch, in next ch work 1 sc and 1 dc. Repeat from * across (8 groups); ch 1, turn.

2nd row: *Skip dc, in next sc work 1 sc and 1 dc. Repeat from * across, ch 1, turn.

Repeat 2nd row 4 times more. 7th row: Work across in pattern, ch 3 at end of row. Mark this edge for thumb. 8th row (thumb inc): In 3rd ch from hook work 1 sc and 1 dc, continue across row in pattern as established; break off peacock, attach green; ch 1, turn.

Working in pattern with green, work even on 9 groups for 3 rows more, ending at marked edge. Do not ch 1 at end of last row. Break off green, turn.

Next row; Make lp on hook with brown. Skip 1st 2 groups, work 1 sc and 1 dc in sc of next group, continue across in pattern to end of row (7 groups); ch 1, turn. Working even in pattern on 7 groups, work 1 row more with brown, 3 rows with red and 3 rows cerise.

Next row (dec row): With cerise, work in pattern across to within last group, work 1 sc in sc of last group; ch 1, turn. Following row (dec row): Skip 1st sc, work 1 sc and 1 dc in sc of next group, work in pattern across to within last group, work 1 sc in sc of last group; ch 1 turn. Repeat last row twice more, omitting ch 1 at end of last row. Break off.

Thumb: 1st row: Make lp on hook with brown. Starting at outer edge, work in pattern st across free green sts (2 groups); ch 1, turn. Continue in pattern on these 2 groups only for 3 rows more. 5th row (dec row): Skip 1st de, draw up lp in each of next 3 sts, y o hook and draw through all lps on hook. Break off. With brown, work 1 row sc evenly on all edges of thumb sts. only. Break off.

Second Side of Mitt: Make another pieces in same manner.

Finishing: Edging: with red, work 1 row sc all around edges, except wrist edge, of both pieces. Joining: With red, sew both pieces together from the right side. Wrist Edging: With red, work around wrist edge as follows: Work 2 sc in each sc around. Break off. Loop: Attach red with sl st to wrist at seam edge and crochet 2 inch chain. Sl st in each st of ch. Sew end of ch to mitten to form loop.

Solid Color Mitt: First side of Mitt: Using only peacock: work as for striped mitt.

Second side of Mitt: Using only green, make another piece in same manner.

Finishing: Using only green, work as for striped mitt for edging, wrist edging, joining and loop.

A pattern like this can be modernized using “now” colors and different yarn. Try two strands of thick eco-friendly cotton yarn or maybe make your own yarn out of old t-shirts.

Post by GoofingOff

Peace, love, and Happy Stitching!

Homemade Coleslaw

Good coleslaw is so yummy. It’s a perfect companion to a sandwich, has it’s own place of honor with fish, and needs to be present at a barbecue. I was going to break down and buy some at the store….until I almost choked at the price. It’s made of cabbage, green cabbage, not gold, and cabbage is cheap, like 35 cents a pound. So, with my mathematical brain, I figured it would be much cheaper to buy a cabbage and use part of it for coleslaw and the other part for stuffed cabbage. One make-ahead supper in the freezer and one yummy side dish. Here’s the coleslaw recipe:

You need 1 medium head of cabbage (about 2-3 pounds)

1/3 cup of apple cider vinegar

1 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup of dried cranberries (Craisins)

1/4 cup slivered almonds

 

Rinse the cabbage under cold, running water. Let drain. Chop the cabbage fine. You can use a food processor if you’d like, just be careful not to let it chop too fine and create a paste.

 

The cabbage should look like this:

 

Add the dried cranberries. 

Then add the nuts.

Mix the vinegar and mayonnaise together.

  

Add the dressing to the cabbage mixture. Voila! That’s it. Let it set in the refrigerator overnight for the flavors to meld together.

 

Note: you can substitute raisins for the dried cranberries. The dried cranberries are sold in the store as Craisins from the Ocean Spray company.

For a sweeter coleslaw add sugar, Splenda, or honey to the vinegar/mayonnaise mixture.

You can use other nuts if you don’t have almonds on hand. I used walnuts this time.

Post by Miss Eileen aka GoofingOff

MissEileen vintage
Goofingoff Etsy Judaic fabrics, sewing patterns
GoofingOff Artfire Sewing patterns, plus size patterns
Metal Woods N Water unusual stuff and metal work

Kitchen Ideas from A Cook's Delight Vintage Cook Book

A Cook's Delight
Future Homemakers of America
Newberry High School

While yard saling I found this awesome cookbook called "A Cook's Delight" from the Future Homemakers of America, Newberry High School, Newberry Florida from 1961. The book has some wonderful old recipes in there but I found these Kitchen Ideas I had to share.

"If a cracked dish is boiled for 45 minutes in sweet milk, the crack will be so welded together that it will hardly be visible, and will be so strong it will stand the same usage as before.

Put a layer of marshmallows in the bottom of a pumpkin pie, then add the filling. You will have a nice topping as the mashmallow will come to the top.

Dip your bananas in lemon juice right after they are peeled. They will not turn dark and the faint flavor of lemon really adds quite a bit. The same may be done with apples.

A leaf of lettuce dropped into the pot absorbs the grease from the top of the soup. Remove the lettuce and throw it away as soon as it has served its purpose.

To prevent splashing when frying meat, sprinkle a little salt into the pan before putting the fat in.

If the juice from your apple pie runs over in the oven, shake some salt on it, which causes the juice to burn to a crisp so it can be removed.

Add a little vinegar to the water when an egg cracks during boiling. It will help seal the egg.

Small amounts of leftover corn may be added to pancake batter for variety.

Use a strawberry huller to peel potatoes which have been boiled in their 'jackets.'

To make bread crumbs, use fine cutter of the food grinder and tie a large paper bag over the spout to prevent flying crumbs."

I can remember my grandmother adding salt to the pan before frying but didn't know what for.  I have to try the pumpkin pie and the lettuce ideas. As for a strawberry huller.....I don't even know what one looks like, much less use one!

The Great Pot Holder Challenge

Knowing oneself is a good thing. I think so, at least. I am one of those kind of people who always needs to be challenged. Don’t know why, I just am. I need to have something to work on, to work towards, to change in my world so I don’t get bored with life. The other day I was reading blogs and came across one where the blogger is making pin cushions…..lots of them. Cool idea. Click here to see her blog, the Selvage Blog, and her shop, Karen Griska Quilts. She inspired me! I thought I need to be challenged to keep my skills sharp, my mind working, my sanity in check, but what to do? I didn’t want to make pin cushions, she’s doing that and she does them so well. I looked at my sewing table (really the sewing desk…the one with the UFO’s….and saw the pot holders I was finishing up and thought, there’s my challenge…..Pot Holders! Not your everyday, run of the mill pot holders but scrappy, unusual, different looking pot holders. Not the kind you’d find in Walmart or Dollar General pot holders, but cool pot holders.

OK, I thought of what the challenge would be now I had to have rules….because I have to have rules. That’s me.

Pot holder challenge rules

The pot holder design got to be my own idea. I can be inspired by others but no copying. No patterns unless they are very vintage (pre 1970).

The pot holder has to be scrappy. I like scrappy. Got lots of scraps.

The pot holder has to be useable. I like to cook and so does the hubby.

That’s the rules. Pretty darn simple rules. Here’s my first set of pot holders.

 

I’m not ready to put my pot holders in my shops yet. I need to do a bit more sewing and be happier with the process……however, there’s the first of (hopefully) many pot holders.

Oh, and sorry about the title…a little grandiose.

Post by Eileen Patterson….Miss Eileen aka GoofingOff.

Cookbook Collector and Meringue Tarts

I am a collector. Some might think I am a hoarder-in-training but no, I am a collector. Trouble is I collect many different things and my organizational skills are somewhat wanting. That’s another story though, and would probably take a lifetime to figure out. This is about old cookbooks, or more specifically, old recipes. I love looking at old recipes. There is something about the old cookbook and recipes that captivate me. Deep down inside me I think “if only I have the right recipe the food will be wonderful.” Not always the way it goes but I keep trying….and looking and every so often I do good. Today was one of those days.

Not too long ago I went to this auction house down in Ocala and found, among other treasures, a loose leaf binder. After getting it home I started exploring the book and, lo and behold, it was full of recipes! Some looked like they were cut from magazines in the 60’s and 70’s.

One recipe, Bonnie Meringue Tarts, caught my eye. The recipe is on the back of a June 1954 calendar. The thought of meringues is a little special to me. When my daughter was little I made meringues and she loved them. Only did it once but for some reason she brings them up like I made them everyday. Special place in her heart I guess.  I thought they tasted sort of like marshmallows but they are low calorie (compared to other cookies). These meringues are made into a shell and I though with strawberry filling they would be the bomb! Strawberry season is upon us in Florida so the timing is right. I tried them out and they are pretty good. They look great and would make a fantastic presentation. Here’s the Original recipe:

Bonnie Meringue Tarts

the writing is small so I copied it so everyone could see it better.

4 egg whites 

1 cup of sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vinegar

1/2 cup quick rolled oats uncooked

Add vinegar, vanilla and salt to egg whites and heat to a soft foam. Add sugar gradually, about a tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition and continuing until the mixture stands in moist peaks. Fold in rolled oats lightly and pile in 8  mounds on a lightly greased baking sheet, using a spatula or spoon to hollow out the centers and build up the sides to make shells. Bake in a 275 degree oven about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Then cool slightly and remove from pan with a thin bladed spatula. Fill with sweetened strawberries or other fruits in season and top with slightly sweetened whipped cream. This will make 8 tarts.

I modified the recipe a little:

for the 1 cup sugar I used 1/2 cup Splenda (everyone I know is on a diet)

for the salt I added cream of tartar

I left out the oats

Instead of a lightly greased pan I used parchment paper. Good thing. Meringues can be a little sticky depending on the humidity. I live in Florida. Enough said. The parchment paper also cuts down on clean up. Yippee!

Here’s how the shells looked before baking:

and after baking for 1 hour at 275 degrees.

And here’s mine before I ate it. Yummy! The strawberries were lightly sweetened with Splenda, too.

I hope they look as pretty when I get them to work for my team mates.

Give them a try and let me know what you think. They’re pretty, and tasty, too.

 

Post by Eileen Patterson of GoofingOff.etsy.com and GoofingOff.artfire.com.

Household Searchlight Recipe Book

Cookbooks are special. They spark interest in cooking, eating, and are a favorite of collectors. Every year there are cookbooks written and sold throughout the world. Just when I think every cooking idea has been covered, someone comes up with a different way to make soup, dessert, and entrees. There are special cookbooks and recipes handed down in families that are prized and held dear. That is the way of a cookbook, an unspoken promise to create fabulous food.

I’ve been a cookbook collector for years. I bought the Grand Diplome Cooking Course books back in the 70’s. Under the tutelage of the master chefs of the Grand Diplome I learned to filet a fish, make pie crust, and create a pot roast. I learned the importance and value good knives, how they should feel in the hand, how to sharpen the knife, and how to store a knife so it would last for a lifetime.

My favorite cookbook of all time, and one I refer to often is the Searchlight Recipe Book. My copy was left to me by a friend and I treasure it. The Recipe Book is a wealth of knowledge from Household Magazine of Topeka, Kansas. The book was first published in 1931, copyrighted in 1931, 1937, and again in 1952. My book is from the 1952 copyright. By that time it was in the 23rd edition. It is thumb tabbed with categories that include Canning and Preserving, Fish and Wild Game (a necessity if you are married to a hunter or fisherman…or fish yourself), and Candies. The recipes are practical, easy to follow, and tried-and-true hard-to-find bits of American history from the 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s. Recipes that have almost disappeared from everyday life like mincemeat (not in the jar), squirrel stew, and watermelon pickles are in the Searchlight Recipe Book.  It is a remarkable book.

Imagine my surprise when I found a Searchlight in a thrift shop. It isn’t in the greatest shape but it is still a great book. I’ll be offering it for sale in GoofingOff.Etsy the next few days. I just have to share this book with someone. It is wonderful.

Well, got to get on. Happy collecting to all.

Post written by Eileen Patterson of GoofingOff.etsy.com and GoofingOff.artfire.com.

Redesigning Leftovers and Sloppy ChicKs

OK, I guess folks who know me know I am a bit of a tightwad. Oh alright, I am a lot of a tightwad. It is a challenge to me to save a few dollars every day. It is just too easy to blow a few bucks on nothing. I eat a lot of chicken, so much I should have tail feathers (I keep checking but I don't). I can make 3 meals out of one chicken and do just that most of the time. I love rotiserrie chicken and even have a rotiserrie to make my own. I strip the meat after we have supper and save the bones for soup or chicken and dumplings. With the meat I make a lunch called Sloppy Chicks. It is like Sloppy Joes without the beef and a little less greasy. Sloppy Chicks 2 cups shredded or chopped cooked chicken 1 onion, diced 2 tb vegetable oil 1/4 cup barbecue sauce Heat the oil in a 10 inch skillet over a medium flame. Add onion and saute until the onion is clear and starting to brown. Add chicken and heat thoroughly. Mix in barbeque sauce. Cook, stirring constantly for 3 minutes. Serve on buns. Serves 4

School Dazed

Education plays an important role in nursing. From the time I thought about becoming a nurse, I was involved in school, continually challenging myself to do more and do better. Once I received my degree, I was on my way to making money. I could hold a job that paid well and commanded respect. I was a professional. I was a nurse. It didn’t take me too long to realize that an Associate’s degree was on the bottom rung of the RN ladder but with a family to raise, I didn’t feel ready to go back for my BSN. Oh, I tried to go back by taking a class or two every so often, but something would always get me sidetracked. After twenty-plus years as an ADN nurse, I finally went back to school for my BSN. Now that I am just about done (one more class to go, Yippee!), I’d like to share a few things I’ve learned along the way. Commitment: I tried to go back before but I was too easily sidetracked. This time I was committed to do whatever it took to get the job done. I developed a routine for studying and writing papers that no one (well, almost no one) could change. I felt like I grew an umbilical cord to my computer. Where ever I went, it went. I even named it. Her name is Sam. Help: I was terrified of Algebra (I still get shivers up and down my spine) and Statistics. Algebra beat me up once (black eye; couldn’t see for 3 days) and I was determined not to let it get me again. This time I found a tutor long before the class started and studied algebra every day just so it would be fresh in my mind. I even found a computer program to use and play with algebra when my assignments were completed. Somehow, I did it right this time because I passed Algebra I & II then went on to kick butt in Statistics but I’m no fool. I had help. I couldn’t have done it alone. Mentoring: I have one official mentor (on paper) and about 3 real live ones. I needed someone to help me through the application process, the reimbursement process, even the picking-out-the-right-school-for-me process. They are the people who listened to me moan and groan about my work and said “You can do it” and meant it. They’d read over my papers and correct the dumb mistakes (OK, I’m not perfect). They’d give me the push (or kick in the tush) I needed when I needed it. Timing: I went back on my time, not someone else’s. Yes, I am hard headed, been that way all my life and most likely won’t change now so I used that to my advantage. The timing was right for me despite the fact that I am not a twenty-something with fantastic texting ability know 50 ways to use a computer or any other electronic gadget. I am a fifty-something grandma who had to learn Power Point, Word (there’s symbols in there I’ve never seen before), and to use a computer for more than EBay shopping. The best part of being my age and going back to school is the kids are grown, I don’t have to cook if I don’t want to, and I can afford to have a housekeeper (not daily, please, be real). The only one vying for my attention is my significant other (I just love calling him that) and he knows how to cook. Well, that’s it. I’ve learned other things but those are the biggies. Just six more weeks to go and I can do the walk, and I will do the walk with pride.