Debra LaValley's Blog

Our family loves food and many hours of great fun and conversation have happened around our kitchen tables through the years. Below are a few recipes that we often had growing up … our comfort foods!

Aunt Cookie’s Secret Chocolate Cake

2 cups sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 cups flour
1 cup cocoa
2 tsp. soda
2 eggs
1 cup Wesson Oil
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup milk
2 Tbsp. vinegar to sour milk
1 cup hot water

Mix all ingredients and pour into a greased 13×9 pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Aunt Cookie would never give out the recipe for her delicious chocolate cake. One day, Aunt Mary Jane “stole” it and shared it with the family. It is the best chocolate cake ever!

Pizza Sauce

1 stick margarine
12 oz. tomato paste
1 1/2 cups grated cheese (cheddar & mozzarella)
1/4 t. garlic
1/4 t. onion
1/4 t. oregano
1/4 t. basil

Mix all together and spread on English muffins. Broil until done.

This makes a great quick snack or appetizer.

The Best Meatloaf

1 1/2 lbs. beef
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 onion
1 egg
1 1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
2 cans tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
3 T. vinegar
3 T. brown sugar
2 T. mustard
2 t. Worcestershire sauce

Mix beef, bread crumbs, onion, beaten egg, salt, pepper, 1/2 can tomato sauce and form in 7×10 loaf pan. Combine the rest of the ingredients and pour over loaf. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

NH Audubon Mid-Winter Eagle Count

I believe this is my third year as a volunteer for the NH Audubon Mid-Winter Eagle Count. I enjoy it very much. My territory for the count is along the Merrimack River from Jamie Welch Field in Boscawen to the Penacook Waste Water Treatment Plant off from Penacook Street in Penacook.

Today, I had five sightings. Each year, I seem to see more and more eagles. It is wonderful that our national symbol has been making a comeback. DDT almost destroyed this awesome raptor. Growing up in New Hampshire, I never saw an eagle. Many years ago, I started seeing an eagle only rarely. Now, I am glad to say, I see them fairly regularly.

Today – my first eagle sighting was an immature bird that flew over my head at the boat launch at Jamie Welch Field. It landed downriver in a tree and I watched it for about 15 minutes before it flew south. My next sighting was an adult sitting in a tree across the Crete’s cornfields on River Road in Boscawen. Just before lunch – I headed down Merrimack Street toward the treatment plant. I noticed an immature sitting in a tree behind the old railroad building. I snapped some shots, parked my car and walked down the road to get a better shot. A woman and her daughter were in their car and they too noticed the eagle. I snapped a couple quick shots and the eagle flew away. Much to my surprise – it landed around the corner in a tree near the lookout area near the treatment plant. I stayed in the car and snapped off some shots while it sat in the tree and then took off. The above shot was taken at this time. There are more in my Flickr photostream that you can click. It is located on the right side of this page.

After lunch around 2:30, I came back to the treatment plant and saw both the immature and adult eagles. I believe they both were the same birds that I saw before lunch. The adult bird caught a fish and brought it to a tree. The immature decided to join the adult who did not want to share. I watched them for quite some time. The adult was making a lot of noise.

Happy New Year!

I had a fairly quiet New Year’s Eve. I went with my friends Tim and Dianne to Smitty’s for dinner and a movie. We saw Parental Guidance. It was a very good movie. I was home by 9:00 pm and drifted off for a few minutes and missed the ball deciding in New York – but I woke up in time to hear all the cheering. I find it so hard to believe that it is already 2013! It seems like only yesterday was 2000! Where does the time go?

I did not make any formal resolutions. Every year – I go in hoping to be in better shape by the end of the year. In 2012 – I did manage to lose some weight. I was pleased. I will continue to improve myself in 2013.

Today, I went out for Chinese food with my parents and two of their friends. It was enjoyable and relaxing.

I hope all of you have a Happy and Healthy 2013!

Debbie 🙂

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 2,300 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 4 years to get that many views.

Click here to see the complete report.

Christmas Squatch

Sasquatch came to Penacook on Christmas Day! We all had a great laugh. My cousin Kerry received a ghillie suit from his wife Jean for Christmas. He walked across the main road wearing this and was going to sneak by my trail camera without my noticing. We saw him, and I just had to snap some photos of him in my parents' back yard. Kerry made sure to walk by my trail camera (above). It was such a riot! I especially loved it since one of my guilty pleasures is watching Finding Bigfoot. Penacook is kind of “Squatchy” … I think! 🙂

We had a great family Christmas! Below are some photos for your enjoyment!

Dad, Jaxon, Mom

Justin & Melissa

Christie with Jaxon

Jessica, Christopher & Lucian

The Gang

Jeff, Danielle & Bigfoot

Bigfoot at the Bird feeders

Quincy & Sara

Have a great rest of 2012 Everyone!

Season’s Greetings

The days are really flying by! I can’t believe that Christmas is only 2 1/2 weeks away! Thank goodness for the internet or I would not have most of my shopping done! I hate the crowds at the stores during the holidays! It is madness! We are very blessed this year to still have Jackie here with us. She had a close call (brain stem stroke on 10/15). She is doing very well now – eating almost everything and able to swallow most everything. She has also graduated to a quad-cane and hasn’t been using the walker. Since her stroke -she has even let us take pictures of her . . . she used to hide from the camera. Today, I snapped this shot while at my parents’ house.

Tonight after supper – my dad took us in the car to see the fabulous lights on Borough Road and Primrose Lane. They were beautiful. It really helps put you in the holiday spirit. I would like a little bit of snow cover – but that doesn’t seem to be in the forecast anytime soon.

Highway View Farm – Boscawen

December Already? Let the Festivities Begin!

It has been lightly snowing all day. I decided to go out after dark to snap shots of the Christmas tree in downtown Penacook – but the tree was dark! It was lit and beautiful the other day – but ever since they had the lighting ceremony, the tree has been dark. I think someone messed it up. I knew that the Crete’s who own Highway View Farm had put the lights on their huge pine tree – so I drove to the farm and snapped some photos. The tree is beautiful!

The snow and the Christmas lights in the neighborhood have put me in the holiday spirit -so I went on line and did a little bit of Christmas shopping! You couldn’t pay me to head to the malls or large department stores on the weekend this time of year. It is commercial chaos. Remember the real Reason for the Season – and spread kindness and joy to all.

Have a great evening!

“I’m growing older but not up”

Yes, I am with Jimmy Buffet. I may be growing older – but not up! I enjoy being a little silly at times and being young at heart. It helps you stay “young.” The other day, I was reminiscing about the “tuke” hats that my mom used to make us when we were little. She would knit us scarves, mittens, and tukes. The tukes were long triangle type hats with a tassel at the end. About a week or so ago – I mentioned to my mother that she could make me a tuke for Christmas or my birthday. Mom still knits all the time. She said she didn’t think she had a pattern anymore. I found something like a tuke on-line. I love the internet!

Ton o’Fun Toboggan Hat

My mother then knitted me a tuke (I am wearing it in the photo). I am also wearing a pair of the mittens she made me a few years ago. The scarf was made by her too. (She knitted us all our own special Christmas stockings too. I will be getting mine out again in a few weeks. It has a huge Santa on it.)

The tuke reminds me of all the great winter fun I had growing up. We were always playing outside in the snow. My dad would make us huge snow forts and also little hills to slide down. I also spent many winter afternoons tobogganing down the old ski trail at Rolfe Park with friends. There was also the two small hills behind Pine Street (now Hullbakers Place). We also had Flexible Flyers and metal saucers to slide with. When we would finally come back in, our mittens would be encrusted with snow and our cheeks -ruby red. Great times.

I have to admit that I am hoping to go sliding at least once this winter. I told Sydney and Maddy that I wanted to go down small hill with them and strap the GoPro camera on to video the decent. All we need is a little snow. Stay tuned for a video, sometime this winter!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I am so thankful for my family and friends. I feel truly blessed to have all of you in my life. This year, we are especially thankful that my sister Jackie is still with us and doing so well. She had a brain stem stroke on October 15th. Most people who have brain stem strokes die or are severely disabled. Jackie sees double and at first could not swallow anything at all – including saliva. Her goal for Thanksgiving was to be able to eat mashed potatoes and gravy. Today at our Thanksgiving meal, she had turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, squash, pumpkin pie, and thickened cranberry juice. She has to think about swallowing – but she is able to get certain consistencies down. It gives us great joy to see her eat anything at all. She has even been able to swallow her saliva from time to time. We are hopeful that soon, with more of her special electric swallow therapy, she will be able to swallow her saliva and drink water again.

We take so much for granted in our lives. When I think of how much joy – Jackie has had just being able to swallow real food – I realize just how lucky all of us are.

Have a great Thanksgiving! Enjoy life’s simple pleasures and your family and friends!

PS – Why the photo of the otters? I have wanted to see wild otters for years, and this morning I came across 4 swimming and fishing in the Contoocook River off Broad Cove Road. I was THRILLED!

Hardy’s Hill

A Memory or Two from Winters Past

Tonight, we may be seeing a little snow here in the area. Not the 2-4 inches they were forecasting this morning, but we most likely will have some ground cover by morning.

The other day, I was driving with down Elm Street with my folks, and we passed this house. My dad said when he was growing up, they would ski across the river at the Contoocook River Park (aka The Island) and go through the woods and up this hill to ski. They called it Hardy’s Hill back in the day. My mom added tonight that my father taught her to ski on that hill. I laughed and said he mustn’t have taught you very well considering you were kicked off the slopes at Waterville Valley. It seems she did not learn how to turn so she was a hazard to others. I remember her telling me this when I was a little girl. Tonight – she did admit that my father only gave her a few lessons.

My brother Ken must have inherited my Dad’s ski instructor gene. I went downhill skiing only once. I went night skiing with my brother Ken at Highland’s. I had never been on skis before. I rented a pair and by a miracle made it to the t-bar and to the top of the mountain. My brother told me that I just needed to jump off. I fell off to the right – my brother went to the left. Ken joined me and showed me how to “turn” … by telling me to press in with one of my legs – I would then “shoosh” down the hill in one direction and fall. I got up – applied pressure to the other leg and then “shoosh” down the hill in the opposite direction and fall. This pattern continued to the bottom. I went up the rope tow on the Bunny Slope a couple of times and attempted to improve my turns, but gave up and waited in the lodge! Thus ended my downhill skiing career.