Author Archives: Jodee

About Jodee

After thinking about various ways to share my memories, I began to write my blog, Learn from yesterday, live for today..... I started writing this blog, for the most part, to share my life experiences with family and friends, a journal of my experiences, but gradually the idea grew into sharing it with everyone. It's just about day to day living and sharing with loved ones the ordinary things that make every day memories. My blog covers everything from cooking family recipes to travel memories and more. Throughout this journey called life, each of us experience many things and what we take away from those experiences makes us who we are today. My journey has had its up and downs like so many of us and as a result, what I have learned from my experiences has shaped my perspective of life. I invite you to take a look and see what I have shared so far. Hopefully, you will enjoy the experience and share this new adventure with me! Jodee

Improve the World: Celebrate Earth Day Every Day!

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By Jodee Weiland

Today is Earth Day and people all over are talking about it! There are activities for children in their schools. Various cities are have activities planned for today that encourage recycling things such as, bicycles for restoration, Apple products, and so much more.  Museums, botanical gardens, and zoos have exhibits that will focus on environmental issues of all kinds for us to learn more about our planet and how to preserve it for future generations. Today is a day when we all can learn how to Improve the World: Celebrate Earth Day Every Day!

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You can easily Google what is happening in your city or cities nearby to you to help celebrate this day. In Chicago today, 5 NBC Chicago has posted a list of places to drop off items for safe recycling at Earth Day E-Waste Drop-Off Locations. ABC 7 Eyewitness News has posted a fun activity for families to do at home with their children at Earth Day Family Fun: Dirt dessert recipe. WGN TV has posted a fun outing for for young families here in Chicago and the suburbs at Earth Day 2014; What the Field Museum’s Dioramas are Teaching Kids about Conservation. These are just a few of the things being talked about here in Chicago, but as I searched the web, I saw so many posts from cities everywhere.

Remember, today is a day when we all can learn how to Improve the World: Celebrate Earth Day Every Day! If you can’t find anything near you, you can check out all the ideas for activities you can do with your family being posted on the web today or make the Dirt Dessert recipe from ABC 7 Eyewitness News listed above. Also, Pinterest has whole boards that contain Earth Day activities for children if you search for them. The EPA Environmental Protection Agency has a downloadable free eleven page coloring book for children called The Happy Earth Day Coloring and Activities Book. There are so many options out there if you just look. So have some fun on Earth Day, learn something new, do something to help the environment, and enjoy!

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Bitsy’s Brainfood co-founder, Maggie Patton encourages families to involve kids in Earth Day, to teach them that they can make a difference.

“When it comes to my own family and taking action on Earth Day, we like to think globally, and act locally. There are so many simple ways to get the whole family involved in celebrating Earth Day,” Patton says. Below, she provides 19 kid-friendly Earth Day activities that can extend into loving the environment every day.

19 KID-FRIENDLY EARTH DAY ACTIVITIES

  1. Compost your fruit and veggie scraps and watch your garden bloom!
  2. Buy, fill and refill reusable water bottles — help keep millions of single-use plastic bottles out of landfill.
  3. Save a tree! Use both sides of your notebook paper.
  4. Visit a zoo or farm and learn how to care for animals. It’ll promote local food, too.
  5. Go for a family walk or bike ride and help keep the Earth cool.
  6. Get everyone a pair of work gloves and pick up trash in your neighborhood or town.
  7. Buy or make your own green cleaning products and spring clean your home.
  8. Grow a community garden and nourish your neighborhood green spaces.
  9. Plant more trees in your town — they’ll help clean the air.
  10. Help remove stuck plastic bags out of trees. And switch to reusable bags instead … for everything!
  11. Make an appointment with your town leaders to add more neighborhood trash cans and recycling bins — or start a recycling program.
  12. Collect glass food jars to paint and turn into candle holders (and use soy-based candles!).
  13. Love surprises? Plant bulbs and flower seeds and keep a weather eye for spring blossoms!
  14. “Turn off the lights!” Make switch plate reminders for your whole house.
  15. Show your kids the beauty of the beach. Collect shells and rocks for art projects.
  16. Make extra food for dinner then ditch BPA-lined plastic and get glass storage containers instead for leftovers.
  17. Transform colorful magazine pages, comics and more into artful projects and gift wrappers.
  18. Learn how to donate/recycle old computer equipment and post instructions (with permission, of course) at your local library, cafes, electronics stores and more.
  19. Breathe in nature: Turn off the a/c and open a window to the world.

Bonus activity: Just get outside and play!

 More Ways to Recycle:

 

Ham, Asparagus, and Goat Cheese Frittata with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

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By Jodee Weiland

After baking a ham, I usually look for recipes that will use leftover ham. One of my favorites is always a frittata because it’s so easy, and you can quickly create one with foods you have on hand. When I first did this recipe, I chose to use the leftover ham from our baked ham and food items I had in the fridge to create my Ham, Asparagus, and Goat Cheese Frittata with Sun-Dried Tomatoes.

https://learnfromyesterday.com

Originally, frittata was an Italian term used for cooking eggs in a skillet. A frittata is basically just an Italian version of an open-faced omelet that is started on the stove top and then finally baked in the oven.  Some people will cook a frittata completely on the stove top, while others will vary between how much is done on the stove top and how much is done in the oven. For my frittata, I used the oven this time. When you cook a frittata in the oven, be sure to use an oven proof skillet or baking dish.

https://learnfromyesterday.comMy Ham, Asparagus, and Goat Cheese Frittata with Sun-Dried Tomatoes came together based on the ingredients I had on hand at the time, and it turned out delicious. The ham, of course, came from a baked ham I had made earlier. The fresh vegetable I had was asparagus. I had just bought a batch at the store a day earlier. I frequently have goat cheese because I keep a variety of cheeses on hand at any given time. Sun-dried tomatoes can easily be found in my refrigerator, since I like to add them into any number of recipes I make from soups to sauces to stews and more. So given the ingredients on hand, this frittata recipe was the delicious result!

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Ham, Asparagus, and Goat Cheese Frittata with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

8 large eggs beaten
1/4 cup skim milk
5 ounces diced ham
12 lightly steamed asparagus spears cut into one inch pieces
1 ounce sun-dried tomatoes chopped into small pieces
4 ounces goat cheese divided in small pieces

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare the baking dish with either a butter or olive oil spray. My dish is about 8 x 11 inches, so my frittata is about 3/4 to 1 inch deep. When ready, beat 8 eggs well in a mixing bowl with a whisk adding the skim milk as you do this. Next, add the ham, asparagus, and sun-dried tomatoes stirring it all together. Finally, add in the goat cheese in pieces and stir some more.

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When the mixture is ready, pour it into the prepared baking dish. Place the dish in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. When done, put a toothpick in the center and pull it out. If the toothpick comes out clean, then your frittata is cooked and ready to cut and serve.

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My Ham, Asparagus, and Goat Cheese Frittata with Sun-Dried Tomatoes is absolutely delicious! Since created, it has become a favorite. We like to serve it with toast and fresh fruit. My husband likes to have some extra slices of ham on the side as well. This dish makes a great breakfast or even a quick dinner. We love it because it is full of flavor from the ham and other ingredients blended together. Each ingredient adds its own unique flavor to the overall taste of this dish. Give it a try sometime, and enjoy!

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Walnuts

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By Jodee Weiland

Sweet potatoes can be prepared in so many different ways, but one of my favorite ways to have sweet potatoes is Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Walnuts. Mashed sweet potatoes are always delicious, but when made with chopped walnuts and just the right seasonings, they have great flavor and crunch!

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Whenever I cook a baked ham or have a big turkey dinner with all the trimmings, I always find a way to add a side of sweet potatoes. Not only do they taste good, they are very nutritious as well. I make sweet potatoes in a number of different ways by roasting them, baking them, or mashing them, but this recipe is one of my favorites because of the crunch from the chopped walnuts that are added only after cooking and mashing the potatoes. Since the walnuts are not baked into the recipe, they retain all their crunchy goodness. Call me silly, but I really think that’s what makes this dish.

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Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Walnuts

  • 4 sweet potatoes
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ginger
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/2 cup skim milk

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Boil the potatoes in a covered pot of water with a pinch of salt for 30 to 40 minutes or until done. When done, peel the skin off the potatoes and mash them in a bowl. Add in the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and butter blending it into the mashed potatoes. Then as you mash the potatoes, add in the milk a little at a time. When thoroughly mashed, add in the chopped walnuts stirring them in gently with a spoon. Once done, put the potatoes into your serving bowl.

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Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Walnuts go well with so many different meals. This delicious side dish will enhance any meal you make with its rich flavor. Not only that, but sweet potatoes are a healthy choice, when choosing a potato for a meal. So if you’re wondering what to do make with dinner tonight, why not try this dish, and enjoy!