Albondigas Soup ~ Salmon Steak ~ Pets We Love ~ Clouds!

   

Good 57º cloudy morning. Hmmm.....

According to the talking heads on the weather and here on this site...it looks like we could get some liquid falling out of the sky.

 Looks like it. Feels like it. Humid. But pressure, once dropped, now rising again.

All things growing will be happy if we do get rain. My lavender plant is going nuts.... Should make some potpourri.


 

I joined a group on FB called Pets We Love. Maggie's picture (several), Harley, Atlas & Tucker, and even a wild turkey and deer are in this movie Kimberly Mack put together. My friend Trish's son and his wife with their little pooch are in it and T's other granddog too. Also, a friend I got on the outs with, Sue and her Sadie. It's dedicated to Sue and her dog who passed away.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bw7z80D8V20&feature=player_embedded

 

We all enjoyed the eagles in Iowa and here's another bird site... owls....

 http://www.ustream.tv/theowlbox

(Sometimes you have to hit the refresh button to make the video come up... that would be the backwards arrow at the top of the browser page ..

..   )

Jen, Sami, and Tucker showed up yesterday afternoon and took my granddog home. Atlas was so very happy. He missed his family! Now, Harley is very happy!!! I would sit in my chair with Harley on my lap and Atlas would lay on the floor next to my chair, and stare at Harley.....

 He's a good boy! Now I miss him.  Anyway, Sami wanted a ride in the golf cart so we took a cruise to the pond. Tucker threw in some rocks. Water very low.

First.... a lesson in pronunciation... (from my son, the Spanish speaking white boy!)   Albondigas is pronounced "Al -bondigas". Separate the "Al" from the "bondigas" and accent on the "bon". See, easy.

Ok, so armed with Cyndi's Albondigas Soup recipe and an old one of mine I went to work in the kitchen....

Ingredients for meatballs:

1# hamburger    1 egg    1/3 cup bread crumbs    1/2 cup instant cooked brown rice    Seasoned salt/pepper  minced garlic and onion

Ingredients for soup:

1 carton chicken stock      1 carton mushroom stock    6 stalks celery- chopped     1 onion chopped     all the garlic you like - sliced     1 cup cooked brown rice    1 can diced tomatoes with lime and cilantro     1 t. cumin    1 t. Taco Seasoning    1 t. oregano    1/4 cup dried cilantro     1 cup grated carrot    1 can whole corn - drained    1 cup green olives with jalapeños       and about 2 t. crushed red pepper flakes

In a large pot I added the broths and other ingredients, brought to boil and added meatballs. Let them cook until I tasted one to test. Seems to me about 15 minutes. Then I mixed up about 1/2 cup Shilling Brown Gravy mix with hot soup stock and when smooth I added it to the soup and stirred well.

Pure HEAVEN. Couldn't stop eating it!!! Very spicy and now I'm hungry for more. One thing, the meatballs didn't hold together as well as I would have liked, so next time I think I'll sear them in a frying pan before adding to the soup.

The difference between my concoction and Cyndi's recipe is that she uses fresh cilantro (didn't have any) and I added corn and the mushroom stock and gravy mix. She also uses canned stewed tomatoes, but I love the diced with lime/cilantro. She also adds quartered potatoes, I added brown rice and also the olives. Some day I hope to try Cyndi's version. I bet it is wonderful!

Historically this date....

1804 – Former United States Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton dies a day after being shot in a duel.

1917 – The Bisbee Deportation occurs as vigilantes kidnap and deport nearly 1,300 striking miners and others from Bisbee, Arizona.

 .... Interesting, as my mother lived in Bisbee at the time. She was 12 and my grandfather was a mining engineer at the Lavender Pit Mine. Never heard this discussed.

http://www.bisbeeturquoise.com/Bisbee-Lavendar-PIt.htm

And births this date include....

1854 – George Eastman, American inventor (d. 1932)

Thank God for George, or what would I take pictures with???

This was my first camera...

1864 – George Washington Carver, American botanist (d. 1943)

 

 Yeah George....peanut butter is one of my favorite foods!!! Thanks!

1908 – Milton Berle, American comedian (d. 2002)

 

   

1934 – Van Cliburn, American pianist

 

1937 – Bill Cosby, American comedian and actor

 

1948 – Richard Simmons, American fitness trainer

Certainly an odd little guy!

1951 – Brian Grazer, American film producer

Talk about "odd"! What did he do, comb his hair with a firecracker?

1951 – Cheryl Ladd, American actress

 Still pretty. Elegant.

1971 – Kristi Yamaguchi, American figure skater

Last night dinner was one of the Idaho salmon steaks Aaron and Marie brought me. Seared in hot oil, garlic powder, lemon/pepper/sea salt, and lemon juice.  I tossed some broccoli slaw and chopped tomato in a hot pan with garlic/onion infused olive oil, drizzled a bit of lemon, sea salt, Sonoma pepper. Chopped up a mini-cuke. Laid the salmon on the bed of slaw. Saved a bite for Harley (he loved it!) ... Really good, and good for me!

I received thank you cards, money (for postage) from the gals I sent books to. Thank you MaryAnn (W. Virginia), Nancy (Yucca Valley), and Lydia (Diamond Bar). My pleasure to share.

I made a sign to keep in the car with me.....

Will use when appropriate. 

All I know. Nuff said. Ciao

xo Mom-Soupy-Sue

July 12th

National Pecan Pie Day

(Be still my heart!)