Author: Norma

Seattle Weather

Very warm day in Seattle.  The temperature climbed to 96 yesterday.  Waiting to see what it does today.  They predict in the 90’s again with a “cooling” trend tomorrow in the high 80’s.

It can get uncomfortable because we’re not used to it but its very unlike the Midwest where the humidity soaks your clothes in sweat.

I hear that bodies adapt to where you live.  Huh … we’ll see.

Borscht Soup

Friends invited us over yesterday for borscht soup.

Huh … it’s definitely red.  Made from beets and served cold.

There were sliced zucchini that you added to it, large diced potatoes and yogurt.

Our hostess said that normally one uses sour cream but they prefer yogurt.

It was okay.  I wouldn’t want to have it more than once every couple of years.  lol

I think it’s definitely something that you acquire a taste for.

Boardman Lake in Washington State

Boardman Lake

My husband and I decided to go on a hike today to Boardman Lake near Verlot, Washington.

The hike is said to be “largely gentle” but we didn’t find it very gentle.

Perhaps because gravel and  a little mountain climbing aren’t considered gentle to us.

The trail starts gently enough with 2-3 boardwalks along the way.

But then, the trail throws a twist at you.

We soon found ourselves having to look down all the time as there were small to medium sized rocks that we were walking on.

Later we encountered more of what you see in the picture above — large tree roots across the trail.

Although the trail is less than a mile, you have to go up to get to the lake.

We did make it to the top but were glad that we brought water bottles with us as it made us huff and puff.

This is a huge mushroom that we found along the way up to the lake.

There were many people on this trail — going up and down.

When we finally reached the lake people were swimming in it.

Wish we had brought our bathing suits with us.

Logjam at Boardman Lake

Heading back, we had to climb some large rocks to make it back on the trail.

Overall it was a good hike.  Challenging yet doable.

And the lake is beautiful.  Next time we’ll pack our bathing suits, lunch and some folding chairs so we can stay awhile.

Arroz con Gandules Recipe aka Rice with pigeon peas

So I decided to try arroz con gandules today.

Gandules are pigeon peas.

It actually came out pretty good so I’m passing the recipe along.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 3 tablespoons sofrito*
  • 1 packet Sazon
  • 4 ounces tomato sauce
  • 2 cups rice (rinsed 2-3 times in cold water)
  • 1 can (15 oz) gandules (pigeon peas)
  • 2-3 cups warm water
  • Salt

Directions

  1. In a large caldero (pot), on medium heat, add the oil.  When oil is hot, add the Sazon, sofrito and tomato sauce.
  2. Cook through for 5-6 minutes.
  3. Add the rice and the can of gandules (including liquid).
  4. Add water to cover the rice.
  5. Stir then add salt to taste.
  6. Cook on medium heat until water is evaporated.
  7. Once water evaporates, stir from the bottom up slowly and make a hill out of the rice.
  8. Put cover on the caldero (pot) and leave it alone for 20 minutes.
  9. Stir then put cover back on and let cook through.
  10. Remove cover and stir from the bottom up.

Enjoy!

Arroz con Gandules



*Sofrito:
  •  2-3 garlic cloves, skin removed
  • 1 small onion, skin removed and cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1 green pepper, pitted and cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1 bunch cilantro, cut the whole bottom of the bunch off (most of the stems), wash in water
  • Put all ingredients in a blender and blend.

More recipes:

 

1 pound of gandules (pigeon peas)
1 tablespoon of alcaparrado without liquid
1 ounce Jamon de cocinar (Cooking ham or smoked ham)
1 one packet of Sazon with achiote
4 ounces of tomato sauce
2 Tablespoons of oil
Salt to taste

1 pound of gandules (pigeon peas)
1 tablespoon of alcaparrado without liquid
1 ounce Jamon de cocinar (Cooking ham or smoked ham)
1 one packet of Sazon with achiote
4 ounces of tomato sauce
2 Tablespoons of oil
Salt to taste

Beets

I’ve been asked, since I post recipes, if I have any recipes for beets.

The answer is no.  I don’t think I’ve ever had a beet.  lol

Although this Sunday, friends have invited us over for borscht soup so I’ll have to let you know how that goes.

There is a website that I’ve used in the past that I have gotten good recipes from and there are beet recipes there.  The site is www.allrecipes.com.

If anyone decides to try the site and a beet recipe, I’d be interested in knowing how it goes.

Cheerios!

Aging, Funeral

Attended another funeral this weekend.

My friend was 87 years old and died of cancer.

I found out so much about him during the funeral service.  I guess that’s what happens when you put total strangers in a room who know the same person.  They all have different stories, different views of the person and their character.

I can’t forget what one person said: “I know the person he is today, not the one from the past.”

I can say the same thing.

He was a gentle, loving, giving person and had a great sense of humor.

But that was not how he started his life.  He abandoned his children from his first? or second marriage.

Only in the past year had he contacted his son, now in his 50’s, to ask for forgiveness and to reconcile with him.

His grandson, who he never met, was a minister and gave the eulogy.

His adopted daughter spoke of how he was a tyrant while she was growing up.  Never had I seen that in his personality.  Only gentleness.

In the Christian world we would call the change in his life a transformation.  And indeed, he had Christlike qualities that one wanted to emulate.

I hadn’t spoken to him in over 2 years but he was one of those people who when you saw him it was as if no time had passed.

Goodbye my friend.  I’ll see you in heaven.

Visitors

I always like to get visitors when I’m sick.

It makes me think of something other than myself.  A nice distraction.

Why don’t people visit or call anymore?

Especially when a person is sick — it feels good to be remembered.

Otherwise, one could think that if they were to die no one would care.

What a horrible thought!