Hallmark!
Today is my Sisters’ Birthday !
Happy Birthday ♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ Happy Birthday¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ Happy Birthday to you♥ ♥ ♥
May the dear Lord bless you both today and always.
Happy Birthday to you♥
Today is also National Garlic Day which celebrates a vegetable also known as the stinking rose. The fragrant and potent root has been seasoning dishes for thousands of years.
The stinking rose is a member of the lily family. This family also includes flavorful onions, leeks and shallots we use in some of our favorited dishes.
Garlic originated in Asia over 7000 years ago, so it’s no surprise that cusines worldwide incorporate it into flavored recipes.
Garlic is quite versatile as illustrated by it many medicinal purposes. The mighty bulb is consider an herbal remedy for colds and may reduce blood pressure and cholesterol. Modern science has also proven garlic’s antibiotic properties.
Myth and superstition reek of garlic. The most familiar one suggests that garlic wards off vampires. The same theory seemed to work on witches, werewolves, demons and other such evils one might cross. Folklore tells us garlic grew from satan’s left footprint when he left the garden of Eden.
Greek midwives used garlic to keep evil spirits away, and courage filled Roman soldiers who consumed the bulb.
Our dreams often have meaning and dreaming of garlic is no different. To dream about garlic suggests good luck and if the dream includes eating it, there might be hidden secrets. Over 300 varieties of garlic grow around the world to dream about as well.
Celebrate today by cooking a terrific meal with garlic, attend one of the many garlic festivals around the world. Or share one of your favorite recipes using garlic.
If you cannot see the bright side, polish the dull side
THOUGHT FOR TODAY
Stop and smell the garlic! That’s all you have to do.
William Shatner
I was born the oldest of 3 girls. I had two younger sisters, but regretfully, the one in middle died a few years ago now. They were born two years apart on the same date. I still have the youngest sister to enjoy. She is a joy to me and I’m thankful for her. We share so many memories, although her memory seem better than mine these days.
I got to spend an afternoon with her last week but won’t be seeing her today. I did send out a card full of love and birthday wishes and when I went to see her I gave her a flower basket for her patio to enjoy.
I have a lunch to go to today with my graduation class friends. I always love seeing all of them, they are a great group but this month it looks like we may not have as many there as usual. We are going to an Italian restaurant and I’m hoping to find something there I can eat. Maybe some kind of salad. Whatever I have is sure to include some garlic.
There is no doubt that I use garlic in my cooking often. I once grew garlic chives in my flower bed. They are very tasty!
My recipe for today does include garlic. On the menu is
Baked Ziti
Makes 8 servings
1 lb. Penne or ziti pasta
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 lb. ground lean beef
1/2 lb mild Italian turkey sausage, canines removed
1 1/2 cup chopped onion
2 Tbsp. chopped garlic
1 1/2 Tbsp dried Italian seasoning
2 cans unsalted tomato sauce
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 Tbsp. torn fresh basil leaves
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook ziti according to package directed until al dente. Drain and return to pot, set aside.
Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add beef and sausage and cook, stirring often to break meat into crumbles, until no longer pink. Add onion, garlic, and Italian seasoning, cook stirring often until the onion is tender and any pan juices have evaporated. Stir in tomato sauce and bring to a simmer over medium high heat, stirring often until flavors have melded and sauce is slightly thickened.
Spoon the sauce into the bottom of a baking dish, spread evenly to coat the dish. Stir 1 cup of sauce into the drained pasta, add half of the pasta to the baking dish and spread evenly. Dollop half the ricotta evenly over pasta, then top with remaining pasta. Spoon the remaining sauce over the pasta, then dollop evenly with the remaining ricotta. Mound mozzerlla in the spaces without ricotta. Bake uncovered until hot an bubbly and the cheese is melted. About 25 minutes. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes , sprinkle with basil before serving.
You can use either 1 lb. sausage or beef if you desire. I used the beef in mine. I use cottage cheese instead of ricotta. Although some say ricotta is much creamier.
It’s my day to make up a new menu for the week ahead to do my grocery shopping from. It’s my day to shop for the coming week.
Monday - Grinder Salad Sandwich
Wednesday - Chicken Enchilada Skillet Casserole
Friday -Easy Pea and Spinach Carbonara
Weekend- Slow Cooked Ranch Chicken and Vegetables
Its beginning to warm up again today, it will be in the 60’s and tomorrow we will be close to 80 degrees!
I hope you all have a WONDERFUL Wednesday!
COUNTING MY BLESSINGS
Peace and happiness begin, geographically, where garlic is ussd in cooking.
Marcel Boulestin
Counting at least 3 things every day that I'm thankful for. There is truly is always something to be thankful for.
11,233 for my sisters, it’s their birthday.
11,234. for a nice day to get out and shop
11,235. for lunch with friends
5 comments:
I'm so thankful I had sisters to grow up with, they helped to keep me on my feet!
Happy :) Birthday!
"Folklore tells us garlic grew from satan’s left footprint when he left the garden of Eden."
Ew!
The 'stinking rose' ... how funny! Stinky to some, perhaps, but I love my garlic. You're the only person I know who's ever grown their own!
Your post reminds me, I still have the fresh garlic marinating in honey for more than a month. (I'd forgotten all about that until now!) Like the other blogger suggested, I'm going to pop a clove and see how it tastes.
Happy Birthday blessings to your little sis, and I hope you had lots of fun at your classmates' get-together!
Garlic chives grow on the side of the garage at the lake house. 🙂
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