Terracotta Warriors Exhibit

Amid the hustle, the bustle and also the shiny bright lights of Times Square in NYC there is a wonderful informative exhibit of ancient Chinese history.  The Discovery Times Square exhibit Terracotta Warriors Defenders of China's First Emperor.  This exhibit is absolutely great!

From time to time I share a bit of history - sometimes ancient history.  This is definitely ancient history!  Back over 2,200 years ago the first Emperor of China, Qin Shihuangdi, prepared for his afterlife, after he became the ruler of the Qin Dynasty.  His tomb took over 40 years to build and more than 700,000 workers labored.  The terracotta warriors and horses were made to be included in his tomb.

General wore shoes with turned up toes.

In 1974 peasant farmers were digging for a well in China.  They dug deeper and did strike something solid - a part of a terracotta soldier.  Archaeologists were called.  Fast forward years and we all are able to view the beautiful terracotta works of art.  It did not require a trip to the museum in China.  For me it was first a car ride and then the Metro North to NYC to view these artifacts and also others from the Han Dynasty - that followed the Qin Dynasty.

The Terracotta Warriors Defenders of First Emperor closes on August 26.  If you live near or are planning a trip to NYC, this is a wonderful exhibit!

History is fascinating!
You will Enjoy!

             

***

 

A Blueberry Weekend!

It was my kind of weekend! No, I never did sit in front of my Janome to work on the pillow shams.  No, our sons did not unexpectedly drop in nor did I get a dose of culture at a museum.  This kind of weekend involved "elbow grease" and it's a weekend that occurs every year each summer.   It's Blueberry season!  When the local blueberries are ripe, it's time to make Blueberry Freezer Jam!  Yum!  Currently, 2 batches are sitting undisturbed on our Dining Room table.  Yesterday was a HHH kind of day and as I was stirring the crushed Blueberries, Sugar, Lemon Juice and Certo, I thought back to the "old days" when stirring jam over a hot stove was my only option.  On  these HHH days I rarely heat the oven to bake. Needless to say Freezer Jams are my way to prepare jams. Recipe link.

Blueberry Freezer Jam

After purchasing my supply of Blueberries on Saturday, many pints were cleaned, packed, labelled and stored in our large freezer.  It's wonderful to defrost a Ziploc Freezer Bag of Blueberries to bake Yummy Blueberry Muffins in the frigid colder months.  Recipe link.

Yummy Blueberry Muffins
(File Photo)

Oh definitely Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes were served for breakfast yesterday AM!  Recipe link.  It's great to have the extra pancakes in the freezer to enjoy for breakfast on other mornings!  There are also Blueberries for snacking!  

This past weekend was a Blueberry Weekend!  Do you enjoy Blueberries?

Enjoy!
Yummy!

                  

~Free Fun Fridays~

It's July and the Free Fun Fridays sponsored by the Highland Street Foundation are being enjoyed by many families - residents of Massachusetts and also guests that are visiting or that are making a special trip to a specific place.

I posted the calendar for this wonderful program of learning while having FuN last month, but I decided to post it again today - in case some of you, my readers, are not aware of the generosity of the Highland Street Foundation, again this summer.

Click on this link for the calendar and other info.  You just might find an interesting location in Massachusetts to spend a specific Friday vacation day - with free admission.

Thank you Highland Street Foundation!

   

Green Solar Tea

File Photo

After returning back home this afternoon the Green Solar Tea was ready!  It did not take too long to add 5 ice cubes to a glass and pour this refreshing liquid to enjoy on this hot day.  I was so happy that I remembered to place the pitcher containing the cold water + 3 Green Tea bags in my front bow window.  That was about 3 and 1/2 hours earlier this afternoon.

The covered pitcher is now in my fridge minus the tea bags.  Solar Tea is easy, delicious and so refreshing!  Do you brew the Solar Tea?

Enjoy!

Yummy!



Basil Parmesan Toast

It's always great to change things a bit!  Sometimes things change while cooking, because the needed ingredient is not to be found - easily.  Who wants to make that quick trip to the grocery store, when you need it right now?  I sure don't, even though my grocery store is 5 minutes away!  Other times, it's great to substitute and try something different.

Add Basil Before Toasting

That last scenario occurred when I was getting the Parmesan Toast ready to be placed in the Toaster  Oven.  I usually sprinkle Garlic Powder on top.  Well, Basil Parmesan Toast tastes absolutely wonderful!

This is a quick & easy substitute whenever dinner rolls are not at hand. Whenever a partial loaf of bread is not found on my counter, the chances are good that one can be located in my freezer.  This is especially true on these HHH days!  The needed slices can easily be defrosted.  However, I've learned that Hamburger Rolls (split in half) work quite nicely, also!

Basil Parmesan Toast

Ingredients: 

Slices of Bread
Softened Butter/Margarine
Parmesan Cheese
Basil (dried)

***A Toaster Oven is needed!

Method:

1. Lightly spread softened Butter/Margarine on desired bread slices.
2. Sprinkle Parmesan Cheese on top.
3. Then, sprinkle on dried Basil. 
4. Toast bread slices in a Toaster Oven, as desired.
5. Cut on a diagonal and serve with dinner.

My fave bread to use is Soft Oatmeal.  This Basil Parmesan Toast is quick & easy to make!  Perfect for a summer meal when it would be great to have rolls with dinner, but there are none to be found!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

  

Enjoy...

Have a Happy & Safe Fourth of July!!!

Enjoy!

Lime Simply Delicious

Ready to be placed in the fridge!

Just the thought of anything lime flavored sounded refreshing, cooling and so good on this HHH day.  I was in the kitchen waiting for the milk to come to a boil for my double batch of yogurt.  It's quite messy if the milk does boil over the top of the pot, so the "watch detail" was in progress.  You know...a watched pot never boils... 

Suddenly, Lime Simply Delicious came to mind.  Friendly's Vanilla Ice Cream was in the freezer and I only needed 1 Cup.  A package of lime flavored JELL-O was located in my cabinet.  This could only mean one thing - an easy to make, delicious, light dessert after dinner.

Lime Simply Delicious
2 servings
printable recipe card

Ingredients:
1 small pkg. Lime flavored gelatin - I use JELL-O.
1 Cup Vanilla Ice Cream
1 Cup Cold Water

Method:

1. Place 1 small pkg. gelatin in a large bowl.
2. Add 1 Cup boiling water.
3. Stir well to dissolve gelatin. (I use whisk.)
4. Add 1 Cup Vanilla ice cream to mixture.
5. Stir well to dissolve ice cream. (I use whisk.)
6. Pour into dessert dishes or mugs.
7. Cover and refrigerate for several hours.
8. Top with Reddi-wip or whipped cream before serving! 

Strawberry ice cream and strawberry gelatin also are very refreshing!  This is an easy to make dessert on an HHH summer day!  Do you make a fave easy dessert on a hot day?

Enjoy!
Yummy!