Sunshine Day

"I think I’ll go for a walk outside now, the summer sun’s calling my name-
I hear you now-
I just can’t stay inside all day, I gotta get out, get me some of those rays!
Everybody’s smiling (sunshine day)
Everybody’s laughing (sunshine day)
Everybody seems so happy today-
It’s a sunshine day."

--Brady Bunch, "Sunshine"

It is just gorgeous outside--birds chirping (even the first robins of spring!), bees humming, plants budding, flowers peeping, windchimes singing, children laughing, neighbors waving. We spent several hours outside after church and lunch, cleaning up the garden wall and riding tricycles around. We showed Mama our blooming snowdrops and our emerging crocuses; then altogether we found the tips of our day lilies poking through.

"Good day sunshine

Good day sunshine
Good day sunshine

I need to laugh, and when the sun is out
I've got something I can laugh about
I feel good, in a special way
I'm in love and it's a sunny day "

--Beatles, "Good Day Sunshine"

"Here comes the sun, here comes the sun,

and I say it's all right

Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter
Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
and I say it's all right

Little darling, the smiles returning to the faces
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
and I say it's all right

Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...

Little darling, I feel that ice is slowly melting
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been clear
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun,
and I say it's all right
It's all right"

--Beatles, "Here Comes the Sun"

Mama got out the safety cones and all the big wheels, in addition to the tricycles, creating an obstacle course on the driveway for the kids, who raced up and down it. Bud also had all his drawing tools (in a baggie from church) out on my favorite rock to draw the outside, so I drew so snowdrops for him. Sis helped with some dirt digging. Mama rearranged parts of the garage and delivered tools and such to me for my rosebush pruning and rock wall cleaning.

"Sunshine on my shoulders

makes me happy

Sunshine in my eyes

can make me cry

Sunshine on the water

looks so lovely

Sunshine almost always

makes me high.

If I had a day that I could give to you

I'd give to you a day just like today

If I had a song that I could sing for you

I'd sing a song to make you feel this way."

--John Denver, "Sunshine on My Shoulder"

I'm sure we'll have more frost, maybe even a few more snowstorms. It is only the first week of March after all. But as Sis noted, the ground is finally soft so that she can dig and we could remove our "Let it Snow" sign, which has been frozen in place for a few months now. So regardless of a few more weeks of winter (and local lore says not to plant anything until Mother's Day, which is often the last damaging frost of the region), we can feel "spring bustin' out all over" (to paraphrase from Carousel).

"Let the sunshine
Let the sunshine in
The sunshine in
Let the sunshine
Let the sunshine in
The sunshine in
Let the sunshine
Let the sunshine in
The sun shine in..."

--5th Dimension, "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In"

"I'm walking on sunshine , wooah

I'm walking on sunshine, woooah
I'm walking on sunshine, woooah
and don't it feel good!! "

--Katrina and the Waves, "Walking on Sunshine"

And our family's perennial favorite:

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are gray
You'll never know dear how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away."

(for more sunshine songs, see here)

Sun and Moon

There seems to be an astronomical theme to our conversations today.

This morning, while watching--can you guess?--"Ni Hao, Kai-Lan," DD (oh, goodness was it DS? Sometimes I forget) remarked that "Mr. Sun" on the tv was Kai-Lan's sun, which was not the same as the sun in Barney's song, "Mr Golden Sun." Nor was it the same as our plain sun. This seemed perplexing.

The moon only added to the problem. DS spotted the moon as we left our playgroup today (mmmm, such yummy food--recipes follow). Immediately, there were requests for our moon songs--"I See the Moon," which is my family's staple; "Moon, Moon, Moon" by Laurie Berkner; and the very appropriate one we learned at the library:

Sister Moon, Sister Moon
You're out too soon
The sun is high in the sky
Go back to bed
Cover up your head
And wait for the day to go bye-bye-bye
Wait for the day to go by.

Then DD ran off looking for the sun in the opposite direction (not realizing that it was hazy and the sun was hiding to her left).

Eventually we got in the car, napped, and came home. I suggested we look for the moon at our house. But oh, no, this was not right--the moon, I was told (mercy, I forgot by whom again), was at Miss B's house, not ours. Apparently, our moon only comes out at night.

-=-=-=-=

Aunt Mary's Chicken

chicken breasts
cream of mushroom soup
milk
Swiss cheese
Pepperidge Farm stuffing
butter

I think its like a bunch of boiled chicken breasts cubed ­ enough to fill the bottom of the rectangle dish. Then a can of cream of mushroom soup with a half a can of milk mixed together, poured over top. Then a package of Swiss cheese layed over top. Then a package of Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix (the herb kind) with some melted butter sprinkled on top. Bake @ 350 for like 35- 45 min until its lightly browned on top and bubbly on the sides.

Miss B


Mushroom Asparagus Quiche

1-8 oz tube refrigerated crescent rolls
2 teaspoons prepared mustard
1 1/2 lbs fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1/2" pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup butter, cubed
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups (8 oz) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon each dried basil, oregano, and rubbed sage

Separate crescent dough into eight triangles; place in an ungreased 9" pie plate with points toward the center. Press onto the bottom and up the sides to form a crust; seal perforation. Spread with mustard; set aside.

In a large skillet, saute the asparagus, onion, and mushrooms in butter until asparagus is crisp-tender. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; stir in asparagus mixture. Pour into crust.

Bake at 375 F for 2-30 minutes or until a knife inserted near the edge comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.

Miss E via Taste of Home


Oatmeal Scotchies

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened (used 3/4 cup vegan "butter" sticks)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or grated peel of 1 orange (used the vanilla)
3 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
1 2/3 cups (11-ounce package) butterscotch chips

PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

COMBINE flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats and morsels. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 7 to 8 minutes for chewy cookies or 9 to 10 minutes for crisp cookies. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

PAN COOKIE VARIATION: GREASE 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan. Prepare dough as above. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until very lightly browned. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Makes 4 dozen bars.

Nestle Butterscotch Chips bag (I brought these in pan cookie form)