In honor of Father’s Day, I’m dedicating today’s post to my wonderful Dad. Although nearing octogenarian status, he has managed to remain a kid at heart all these years.
Among the many things my Dad and I share is a sweet tooth. Growing up on a farm, I used to spend hours traipsing after Dad as he irrigated, worked fields, harvested, and ran to town for parts. When I was pretty small, he was renting an acreage just a few miles from our place. If we took the long way around to get there it meant driving past the little country store in our community. No trip was complete unless we made a stop. The store was dark inside with old wooden floors and was a fascinating blend of odors – spices coming from the meat case, cleaning supplies and candy. It was the candy that always got my particular attention.
Located directly behind the check-out counter was long set of shelves that you could walk all the way around, drooling over all sorts of sweet temptations. There were lemon drops, candy cigarettes, bubble gum and all kinds of chocolate. Some favorites that Dad and I liked to share were Neccos, Bit-O-Honey, Big Hunk and Butterrum Lifesavers. When it was hot, sometimes we skipped the candy and went right to the freezer for an ice cream sandwich or an icy cold bottle of Coca Cola.
Before we got out to the pickup, there was always the reminder of “now don’t tell your mother.” I’m sure Mom wondered how, with all her diligent policing of my toothbrushing activity, I always had so many cavities. But spilling the beans would have been the end of those great trips and all the sweets, so Dad and I both kept quiet.
Through the years, Dad and I shared a lot of candy. I was recently excited to see one of my very favorite candy bars – the Idaho Spud – is available online. http://www.idahospud.com/candy-idaho-spud-bar.php If you’ve never had a Spud Bar, you’ve got to try one. A soft, cocoa-flavored marshmallow center is dipped in dark chocolate then sprinkled with coconut. As good as it is at room temperature, they get even better when frozen.
Whenever I see Idaho Spuds or Neccos in a store, they remind me of my Dad and all the good times we had, especially in the summer.
So Happy Father’s Day, Daddy! And to all you Dads out there. May your day be one filled with all the things you enjoy the most!
Archive for the ‘Desserts’ Category
Happy Father’s Day!
Posted in Desserts, Holidays, tagged Father's Day, Tribute to Dad on June 19, 2009| 4 Comments »
“One Lovely Blog Award”
Posted in Desserts, Referrals on June 16, 2009| Leave a Comment »
Thanks to my friend Linda at http://lindamccormick.wordpress.com/ for awarding me this “One Lovely Blog” award.
She is so sweet and I am very honored she would pass this special honor on to me. In keeping with tradition, I now pass it on!
The rules for this one are:
1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.
2. Pass the award on to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered (Being new to blogging, I don’t have quite that many yet).
3. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.
My choices are listed below in no particular order. They are a random assortment of friends, business associates and blogs I just find appealing.
Harriette Jasper, http://photoalbums4u@wordpress.com (Digital Photo Albums Made Easy). We took a Social Media Made Simple class together. She knows what she is doing and is such a lovely person!
Jennfier Fong, http://liajen.wordpress.com (Direct Sales and Social Media). Jennifer taught our Social Media class and is so good at what she does.
Julie Anne Jones, http://julieannejones.com/blog/ (Direct Sales Coach). Julie Anne is a gifted coach with a wealth of ideas.
Diana Pemberton-Sikes, http://www.fashionforrealwomen.com/blog/ (Image Consultant). Diana has such great and realistic information about fashion and tips you can use every day.
Ann Basham, http://asimplekitchen.wordpress.com/ (Kitchen Specialist). Ann was another member of our Social Media class and is so knowledgeable about kitchen tools, has great recipes and is very talented.
Enjoy the award and pass it on!
Summer Mediterranean Salad
Posted in Desserts, Easy Recipes, tagged Greek Salad, Mediterranean Salad, Salad Recipes on May 27, 2009| Leave a Comment »
Fresh salads bursting with flavor are a delicious part of summer dining. Here is one of my favorite salads, so easy to whip together and so tasty. Enjoy!
Summer Mediterranean Salad
8 cups of Baby Spinach or Tender Baby Greens, washed and dried
3 ounces of Calamata Olives, pitted and sliced(I buy them pre-pitted)
3 ounces of pimento stuffed Manzanilla Olives, sliced
small can of sliced Black Olives
1/2 cup crumbled Feta Cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, freshly shredded
1 cup diced fresh Tomatoes
1 cup chopped Cucumber
Caesar Vinaigrette with Parmesan Dressing
Mix together all ingredients, toss with dressing and serve with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese on top. Serve with sliced warm bread and you’ve got an easy summer meal!
Memorial Day Entertaining
Posted in Desserts, Holidays, tagged Entertain at Home, entertaining tips, Memorial Day on May 21, 2009| 6 Comments »
Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance in honor of those who have died in service to our nation.
If you will be hosting a Memorial Day gathering, keep it simple and respectful. Fly the flag and think about incorporating red, white and blue into your celebration. Some very easy decorations can make a big impact and tie everything together.
Many also look at Memorial Day as the beginning of summer and barbecue season. So in light of that, here are 10 fun guidelines for condiments.
1. Do not fear the family-sized bottle of ketchup. Unless you are serving dignitaries, your guests will be happy with the big bottle.
2. You can please most of the people all the time if you have a good assortment of mustards.
3. Plan to have mayonnaise handy at all times. Yes, it’s salty, and yes, it is bad for you, but everyone likes a dab now and then. And don’t substitute salad dressing!
4. Find your own special sauce and serve it proudly. This could be something you make from scratch or a blend of pre-made favorites. Create a great sauce with plain yogurt, finely chopped cucumber, garlic and lemon juice.
5. Nothing tops a hot dog better than relish. Have an assortment of sweet relish, yellow relish and onion relish on hand.
6. Pickles are important and not everyone likes the same kind. Have an assortment of dill and sweet and make sure you identify them!
7. Have plenty of salsa – it goes fast!
8. Grill the onions for your guests’ burgers. The grill is already hot and it just takes a minute.
9. Explore several barbecue sauce recipes, find your favorite, and make it your signature. You may even offer small bottles of it to your guests as parting gifts.
10. Don’t be afraid to serve coleslaw. It’s not just a side dish. Try it on your hot dog.
Have a safe Memorial Day weekend and keep your entertaining simple!
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