The leaf sucker came by this morning at 7:30 and sucked up all of the leaves that we raked and tarped. There are two gigantic oak trees that are in the empty lot next door and they dropped their leaves just in time for the leaf sucker.

Today is National Oatmeal Day!
Alton Brown's Recipe for Steel Cut Oats
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup steel cut oats
3 cups boiling water
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon low-fat buttermilk
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

In a large saucepot, melt the butter and add the oats. Stir for 2 minutes to toast. Add the boiling water and reduce heat to a simmer. Keep at a low simmer for 25 minutes, without stirring.
Combine the milk and half of the buttermilk with the oatmeal. Stir gently to combine and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Spoon into a serving bowl and top with remaining buttermilk, brown sugar, and cinnamon. 4 servings

My Recipe for Normal Slowish Cooked Oats
2 cups water
1 cup oats
2 T brown sugar

In a normal sauce pan, boil the two cups of water. When the water is boiling add the 1 cup of oats and reduce heat to low. Cook until the oats are thick and when you shake the pan the oats barely move. Stir occasionally. Dump into two bowls and add 1 T brown sugar to the top. Enjoy! 2 servings.

Other things you may like to add: chunks of apples, maple syrup (if you are out of br. sug), milk.

New Recipes

I just added a slew of recipes and will add pictures after I make them. I have made almost all of them and look forward to making them again. Yum.

Italian-style bread

I haven't made this yet...

This is a fairly easy recipe, which makes an unusually tasty and tender bread. It is possible to vary this recipe by using half whole wheat and half all-purpose white. (I find it particularly good with 1/5 whole wheat, 4/5 white.) All other procedures remain the same.

For two long loaves:
1 1/2 tbls active dry yeast
1 tbls sugar
2 c 100-115 degrees F water
1 tbls salt
5 to 6 cups flour (Make 1 cup whole wheat for good variation or use about 1/2 cup light rye instead of the whole wheat)
4 tbls olive oil

Use cornmeal on pan to keep bread from sticking. Egg/water wash. Combine yeast, sugar, water and allow to proof. After proofing begins (at froth stage), add olive oil. Mix salt thoroughly with flour and add to yeast mixture in five batches, approximately. Stir until dough is stiff. Knead until no longer sticky—about ten minutes. The “no longer sticky” is more important than the time estimate.Let rise until doubled. Punch down. Knead again briefly, and let rise one more time.

Take dough from bowl, punch down, divide into two parts. Form into loaves, place on baking sheet covered with cornmeal. Let rise until loaves about double. Slash loaves in three places with razor or sharp knife, brush with lightly beaten egg white/water mixture.

Place in cold oven set for 375 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for about thirty-five to forty minutes until done. Let cool on racks.

Broccoli Salad – like Sweet Basil Deli
1 pound bacon
4 cups broccoli florets (can do 1/2 broccoli, 1/2 cauliflower)
5 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup golden raisins
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup white sugar
6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Place bacon in a large skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly browned. Cool, crumble, and set aside. In a large bowl, toss together broccoli, green onions, sunflower seeds, raisins, and bacon. In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, sugar, and red wine vinegar. Toss with vegetables to coat. Cover, and chill until serving.

Chicken Noodle Soup
4 cups chicken
1 cup chopped celery
¼ c. chopped carrots
¼ cup chopped onion
¼ cup butter
8 ounces egg noodles
12 cups water
9 cubes bullion
½ tsp. marjoram
½ tsp. pepper
1 bay leaf
1 T. parsley

To make this even easier...instead of the water and bullion...just add chicken broth.

Swiss Chicken
4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
Black pepper
4 slices swiss cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup – reduced sodium is fine
¼ cup milk
1 cup bread crumbs
3 T butter

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken in a greased 9x13 pan season with pepper. Place cheese on top. Mix soup and mil and pour over the chicken. Top with breadcrumbs and butter.
Bake covered 30 minutes. Uncovered 20 minutes.

Sloppy Joes
3 pounds ground beef or turkey
1 ½ onions minced
2 cans chicken gumbo soup
3 T mustard
6 T ketchup
Salt and pepper

Brown the beef and onion. Drain the grease. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer.

Black Bean Soup
1 cup salsa
2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups chicken broth
1 lime
Sour cream

Heat salsa in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, for about five minutes. Stir in the beans and broth, then heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer ~ 15 minutes. Cool slightly, then spoon1/2 of the soup into a food processor or blender and puree. Combine and serve with lime juice and sour cream.

Spinach and Strawberry Salad
½ cup vegetable oil (can use less or none)
¼ cup white wine vinegar
½ cup white sugar – use less
¼ tsp. paprika
2 T. sesame seeds
1 T. poppy seeds

Serve over the top of baby spinach leaves and sliced strawberries or tomatoes.

Hot Black Bean Dip
1 small onion – chopped
2 garlic cloves – minced
1 tsp. canola oil
2 cans (15 ounce) black beans rinsed, drained
2 small Roma tomatoes diced
1/3 c. picante sauce
½ tsp. cumin
½ tsp. chili powder
¼ c. cheese – Mexican
¼ c. cilantro chopped
1 T. lime juice

Chili
1 pound ground beef or turkey
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T chili powder
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. cumin
1 dash cayenne pepper
2 14.5 ounce cans stewed tomatoes with liquid
1 15 ounce can tomato paste
1 15 ounce chili hot beans with liquid

Combine ground beef, onion, and garlic in a pot and brown.
Stir in chili powder, salt, oregano, tomatoes, tomato sauce, heat to boiling. Stir in beans.

Hot Artichoke Spinach Dip
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/3 cup grated Romano cheese
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon minced garlic
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/3 cup heavy cream
½ cup sour cream
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 baking dish.
Combine chopped artichoke hearts, Romano and Parmesan cheese, and garlic. In a medium bowl, mix together spinach, heavy cream, sour cream and mozzarella cheese. Stir in artichoke mixture. Spoon into prepared baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Rosemary-Garlic Chicken
4 boneless-skinless chicken breasts
1T olive oil
2 garlic cloves, pealed and cut in ½ lengthwise
1 tsp. kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup sherry vinegar
½ cup low sodium chicken broth
1 T fresh rosemary or 1 tsp. dried rosemary
1 T butter – unsalted
1 T flour

Using a rolling pin, pound chicken between 2 sheets of wax-paper.
Heat the oil and garlic in a large skillet over medium-high heat until garlic browns.
Add the chicken breasts and cook until golden – 3-5 minutes per side.
Add the salt, pepper, vinegar, broth, and rosemary.
Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook 3 minutes longer or until the chicken is fork-tender.
Remove the chicken to a plate and keep warm. Increase heat to high and boil sauce until thick or syrupy. (I mixed 1tsp. flour with the butter before putting in the butter)to thicken the sauce
Combine the flour and butter
Whisk in the flour and butter mixture until sauce thickens and pour sauce over chicken.

Lemon Pepper Chicken with Green Beans and Red Skinned Potatoes
6 T. olive oil
1 lemon – ½ sliced ½ juiced
4 cloves garlic – minced
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp ground pepper
¾ lb green beans
8 small red potatoes quartered
4 chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Coat a large baking pan with olive oil.
Arrange lemon slices on the bottom of the pan.
In a large bowl combine remaining oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and garlic.
Coat the green beans then line the bottom of the pan with beans.
Coat potatoes and arrange on the outside of the pan, coat the chicken and place on the green beans.
Pour the remaining olive oil mixture over the top.
Roast for 50 minutes.

White Chili
½ lb chicken breast
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 c. chopped onion
1 19-oz. can of cannellini beans – undrained
1 15-oz. can of great northern beans
2 4-oz cans chopped green chilies
2 T fresh chopped cilantro
2 tsp. cumin
1 can chicken broth

Sauté chicken in onion, oil, and garlic then add the remaining ingredients. Heat and simmer with a bit of cayenne pepper to taste. Serve with a topping of sour cream, grated taco or cheddar cheese and taco chips.

Ravioli Lasagna
1 jar Classico Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce – regular size
1 bag large frozen cheese ravioli – keep frozen
1 10-oz box frozen chopped spinach – thaw and squeeze dry
1 8-oz bag mozzarella cheese
½ cup grated parmesan

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Spoon 1/3 of the sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 or square pan.
Layer frozen ravioli, cover with spinach and ½ of the cheese.
Add a layer of ravioli, sauce, mozzarella, parmesan.
Cover and bake 25 minutes
Uncover and bake 5-10 minutes

Food Combinations that JUST WORK...
Apples and popcorn
Peanut butter and jelly
Pizza and milk
Pretzels and cottage cheese
Black beans and corn
Bananas and Cool Ranch Doritos
Turkey and cranberry sauce
Ice cream and french fries

I've been adding to them lately...so...here are the links in "My Favorites":

Banner - work stuff
Housing work order system - work stuff
Payroll system - work stuff
Sallie Mae
GMAC Mortgage
Edward Jones
TIAA-CREF
Academic Computing - I think this is there automatically.
Helpdesk
ThinkPad
MSN
My.NMU
NMU
Antivirus
WebCT
FloorPlans
and now the fun stuff...
Black Bean and Chicken Recipe
Real Simple 30 minute meals
The Shopping Show!
HGTV Dream Home 2007
Cross Country Skiing in Northwest Wisconsin
Roni's Weight Watchin' Page
Michigan Architecture Photography by an NMU student
Adventures in Chaos
Food Blogga
Roots
Happy Helms
Paint in My Hair
Draft Stoppers
20x200
101 Cookbooks
Backroad Homes and Building Plans
Cooking for Two
Merchant Ships
MiniSmith

Mid-morning Snacks
I usually have a Nalgene with ice water and a splash of whatever kind of juice we have in the fridge...usually the Light Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice, a Special K bar - honey nut flavor, and then a little later in the morning a sliced up apple with almond butter.

Bill has water, a piece of fruit, coffee, and a Fiber One bar.

The women in the front of the office were having Pop Tarts. Mmmmm I love Pop Tarts, especially the brown sugar ones.

Ahhh. I just replaced the finger mouse on my laptop and the new one is wonderful! The old one was grimy and slippery.

Farmer's Market finds from Saturday included zucchinil, yellow squash, a roma tomato, and a green pepper, and a baguette from the bread guy. Saturday night we had some delicious veggie pizza. It makes my mouth water just looking at it. YUM!

I uploaded some pictures to flickr.com again. They are from our bike ride out around Harlow Lake and a few from along Lake Superior. When we got off the trail and walked out to the beach a huge bald eagle started flying about 20 feet from us but away from us.

Bill's parents are out of town for the week, so we're going to go over there and sit on the deck and have supper and then watch some TV. Today is a warm one in MQT, 78 degrees according to Bill Roth.

We are getting our futon back from Walker Furniture of Marquette. What wonderful service, the frame broke when we were folding it up. We only had it for 2 months and were like "what the heck?!" I took some digital pics, brought them out to Walker, they called the next day to say they would fix it and sure enough, our fixed futon will be back in service tomorrow afternoon!

I took a bunch of picture for the blog this weekend but the batteries on the camera died. Once they are charged up or replaced I have more interesting stuff to talk about. I'm thinking about spraying some of that Bath and Body Works "concentrated fragrance spray" in my office but am worried that it will spread to the rest of the office and irritate people and/or theri noses.

http://www.myheritage.com/FP/Company/tryFaceRecognition.php

Funny. I recommend trying it with several pictures.

Walk Score: a website that gives your address a score out of 100 for easability ofwalking places. Our house scored a 74. I think that it really is much better than a C though.

Last night we walked to the grocery store and picked up a green pepper, roma tomato, bag of tortilla chips, a dozen eggs, and a 6 pack of beer. We headed home, 3 blocks, and made fajitas for dinner.

The weather this weekend was BEAUTIFUL! The leaves are peaking and we enjoyed being outdoors - biking, shoveling, raking, mowing, cleaning.