"Happy Holidays to All!"

Merry Christmas everyone! Well tomorrow will be Christmas Day, and I am already preparing tomorrow's Christmas dinner. Being Norwegian, I hardly know how to boil water, yet I try to be persistent and always try "to do my best", especially when my grandaughter, Desert Princess, tells me, "Never give Up Grandpa" and then adds to the challenge by pointing two of her fingers at her eyes saying, " I'm Watching You!"

This year a Prime Rib Dinner was the choice along with sauteed beans sprinkled with craisons, slivered walnuts, and slices of mandarin oranges. Then for a salad, an Italian caprese was selected, my daughter's favorite, consisting of sliced cherry tomatoes, topped with sliced kalamata olives, mozzarella cheese, and garnished with pine nuts and basil with a sprinkle of olive oil and garlic herb seasoning. Fresh cranberries have also been prepared with grated orange zest,and some orange juice, always one of my favorites.

The question now is how to have a good prime rib roast that is tasty, tender and favorable????? To be successful, my choice was a recipe taken from Foodrecipes.com which I will be following tomorrow morning. On the web site, there is a video showing every step.

The secret of this recipe is math. After keeping your roast out for six hours and bringing to room temperature plus adding a rub, it’s off to the big blast oven(500 degrees) to sear the surface of the meat, followed by very slow cooking with the oven off. The amount of time is determined by easy math, which is weight x 5 minutes. So my roast, which is 7.52 lbs, needs to be in the oven for 38 minutes at a temperature of 500 degrees. At that point, the oven is turned off, and is not opened, and the roast is timed for another 120 minutes. Then the roast is ready for serving. Please stay tuned for results!!!!!!

"Charlie's Manhattans and Grasshoppers for all of us"

In our family, everybody talked about my Dad's famous Manhattans, which today we fondly call Charlie's Manhattans. It was always a traditional drink during the holidays and one with a very special recipe which I have shared below. One word of caution, always stop at two, then stay home or have a designated driver. For the kids, and really for everyone else, Rich's Grasshoppers have always been a real delight. All one needs is a container of vanilla bean ice cream and blender and three to four ounces of creme de menthe. Oh so good!


Ingredients for Charlie's Manhattans:


1 1/2 oz Jim Bean Bourbon


1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth


1 Dash Bitters


Splash of Cherry Juice


Stir well with ice. Strain into cocktail glass Serve with Cherry

Welcome to Wellness in 2012!

Want to feel better, have more energy and perhaps even live longer? Look no further than exercise. The health benefits of regular exercise and physical activity are hard to ignore. And the benefits of exercise are yours for the taking, regardless of your age, sex or physical ability. Please join me in 2012!






Want to feel better, have more energy and perhaps even live longer? Look no further than exercise. The health benefits of regular exercise and physical activity are hard to ignore. And the benefits of exercise are yours for the taking, regardless of your age, sex or physical ability.

"Baby Bella needs some Attention"

Many of my postings have featured the four older grandchildren, Piano Man, Desert Princess, Baby Iris and Princess Petra. Just realized yesterday, that the youngest grandchild, Bella, who was born April 30th, had not received the press she so richly deserves, so this blog is dedicated to you, my Princess Bella.

Bella will soon be 8 months old and has grown up so much in the last couple of months. Despite her early start and being a "preemie", she has quickly caught up and is crawling all over to discover her environment. She not only love sitting up, but also prefers feeding herself, which can be a little messy, to say the least. Yikes! Like her parents, she already enjoys the out of doors, and can be calmed at any time by taking her outside. Josie, her canine sister, is quite protective and keeps good company close by until Bella starts to complain about something too loudly.

"No room for Renters"

This past week, my house was discovered to have termites. Since that time, a number of termite exterminators have been invited out to propose a treatment plan. One company representative even drove up in a vehicle that appeared to be a termite. Quite cute in some ways, I must say!

Termites have been munching away on wood for over 250 million years, long before people started building their homes from wood products. Termites recycle wood products into soil by feeding on and breaking down cellulose, the main component of the cell walls in plants. My only question, is why did they pick my house?

There are of course many different types of termites. Here in Arizona, the most common is the subterranean termite, which build earthin shelter tubes, which can be up to an inch in width. These tubes are usually found on the outside just above the slab.

"How to become a Desert Dweller in Arizona"

This week the local Arizona Daily Star had a coverage story on the general do's and don'ts for snowbirds and visitors coming to Arizona. So for those interested in becoming a Desert Dweller, here are some "Tips on Living like a Native" written by Kristen Cook and illustrated by David Fitzsimmons of the Arizona Daily Star.


During the summer heat, car temperatures can be brutal. This can be alleviated in part by having tinted windows, having a sun shade and having a remote starter for your air conditioning.

Avoid trying to catch lizards by hand if they are in your home as they have fracture plaines in their tails, so they break off easily. Use instead a broom to guide the little creature toward the door and outside.

Mark down the month of February for wearing boots. This month is the time of year is so special, so revered, that even schools are shut down. It is Rodeo time!
Prepare and drink sun tea for the hot days.

Down here in Arizona, it is quite easy to walk into a cactus thorn or spines, which can be quite a nuisance, and sometimes painful. Locals suggest using really sharp, fine tweezers or, good ol' white glue. Coat the area with glue and let it dry completely before peeling off. Another method, especially with cholla cactus is to flick off the cholla spine with a comb rather than by hand.

Avoid the sun in the peak hours between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., use at least SPF 30 and cover up with hats, sunglasses and tightly woven clothing that offers sun protection.

"Grandson 's letter to Santa"

This past week Piano Man wrote this special letter to Santa and took a moment to share his writing with both his mom and grandpa. Reading his letter brought both of us to reflect upon our own childhood, and the thoughts and visions we had during our own childhood years. Piano Man captured so much in the beauty of his words, that when asked, he consented to have them placed here on my blog for all to enjoy. Perhaps if we are especially quiet, we may also hear the the "Ho!" "Ho!" of jolly St. Nick and the hoofs of those most famous reindeer!


A Letter to the “One and Only” Santa Claus~

As myriads of Christmases pass by and time slows people’s lives, you still are living healthy and spreading your joy to not only the little kids, but the adults, too. You’re what makes this holiday come together, a fun tradition and belief that has broadened all over the world. You- with your rosy cheeks, bulging belly, long, scraggly, white beard, your brown, leather boots and belt, your red and white, fluffy outfit, and you with your big sack of toys and gifts to give to all the excellent young children- have spread incredible magic all to every single person on the earth that believes. There are so many books, children stories, music, and poems written about your generosity and kindness. And even you eating the cookies, drinking the milk, and feeding your reindeer carrots, have contributed to your fame. A big part of your reputation is when your slide down the chimney a slowly creep to the lighted and decorated Christmas tree and gently and quietly lay the wrapped presents on the skirt of the tree. This holiday would not be complete if it didn’t include you, your little helpers (elves), and reindeer.

As time passes by many have forgotten or don’t believe in you. That only means one thing; they have forgotten the true meaning of Christmas. The true meaning of Christmas is not to get gifts or toys or even money, it is to embrace your family and the ones around you, to be kind to all, to be generous to others, and also to spread bliss. I still believe in you, Santa, and the elves and even the reindeer that fly as they guide your sleigh to every house in the world. I’ve, too, grown and learned that these figures are a representation of the true meaning of Christmas. Santa, to signify love, caring, joy, family, kindness, and most importantly, generosity. The Elves symbolizing the people that helped shape the idea of Christmas, the people that carried on the tradition to their kids, and the people that never forgot the true meaning of Christmas. And last but certainly not the least, are the reindeer (Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and Rudolf) that portray the liveliness of Christmas and the celebration and travel on Christmas. It is these three factors that make up the true meaning of Christmas. I want you to know that as long as I will live, I will NEVER forget the accurate meaning of Christmas.

With the utmost of thanks, Piano Man