Singing On Sunday

Here's another great sound for Sunday listening:

Surname Saturday

Do you know the origin of your surname?

Our family's surname [my married surname] is Henry. Here is what Wikipedia has to say about the surname HENRY:
Henry is an English male given name and a surname, borrowed from Old French, originally of Germanic origin (Haimirich) from the elements haim (“‘home’”) and ric (“‘ruler’”). Equivalents in other languages are Henrik (Scandinavian), Heinrich (German), Eanruig (Scots Gaelic), Anraí (Irish), Enrico (Italian), Henri (Modern French), Enrique (Spanish), Henrik (Hungarian), Henryk (Polish), Henning (Swedish) and Henrique (Portuguese).

Although hubby has not done a DNA study yet, hopefully soon, we know from research that his earliest known Henry ancestor was from Scotland. As was probably my paternal family line, Bean [there or Ireland]. My maternal family line, Dreher.

What about family?

Family Recipe Friday

This is a new recipe for us, but it is so delicious, we will be making it often!

Stuffed Mexican Chicken Shells 

Ingredients:
4 cups chicken breast, cooked and diced
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
6 green onions, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
3 (8 oz.) blocks cream cheese, softened (not melted)
2 cans diced tomatoes with chiles, undrained (Rotel or store brand)
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tsp cumin
1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cups salsa 40 large pasta shells

Directions: Cook pasta shells in well salted, boiling water until al dente (still have a little bite to them- if you cook them too long, they will be difficult to stuff). Drain the pasta and set aside while you make the filling.

For the filling, add diced chicken, drained black beans, green onions, diced peppers, and cumin into a large mixing bowl. Mix well.

In a separate bowl, mix the cream cheese, chicken broth and undrained tomatoes with chiles. When thoroughly combined, pour it over the chicken mixture and mix well (if you have trouble incorporating the cream cheese and tomatoes, you can heat it slightly in the microwave).

You will need either 2 9x13" baking pans OR one large baking sheet.

Spread 3/4 cup salsa in the bottom of each 9x13" baking pan.

Using a spoon, fill each of your cooked pasta shells with chicken mixture, setting them into the salsa-covered pan. Continue until all shells are filled and arranged in the pans. When the pans are full, drizzle the shells with the remaining 1/2 cup of salsa (1/4 cup per pan) and then sprinkle with the shredded cheddar cheese. You can add green onion to the top if you like as well. Cover the baking pan tightly with foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. (I put one pan in the oven to bake for dinner and then wrapped the other uncooked pan with foil and threw it in the freezer for another night. When you are ready to eat it, pull it out of the freezer 24 hours in advance and let it thaw in the fridge. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes)

Travel Thursday

Here's another fun shot from my travels:

Venice, Italy

Wordless Wednesday - Joseph's Steamer Trunk

My Gr-Gr-Grandfather, Joseph Eve, arrived in America about 1853 - 1854. Along with him came a steamer trunk containing all his possessions.

This is the trunk Joseph Eve arrived in America with about 1853-1854.

Tombstone Tuesday - Joseph Eve

"JOSEPH EVE

BORN

JUNE 11, 1828

DIED

JAN 8, 1892"

Joseph was born in France. He came to America about 1853-1854 [the date of his passport papers was 1853]. Here he met and married Annette DuBois about 1858 [1840-1870]. She gave him 6 children, one of whom was my gr-grandmother, who was named for Annette's sister, Adeline. After Annette died, Joseph was left with six children to raise. Annette's sister stepped in to take care of the children, and she and Joseph were married in 1871. They had 9 children together.

Joseph is buried at St. Mary's of the Knobs Catholic Church Cemetery, at Floyd's Knobs, Floyd County, Indiana.

Amanuensis Monday - Joseph Eve Is Drafted

Joseph Eve [my gr-r grandfather] was drafted into the Union Army in June 1863 in New Albany, Floyd County, Indiana. He was 36 years of age. [See Line 1]

Ancestry.com. U.S., Civil War Draft Registrations Records, 1863-1865 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.

Original data: 

Consolidated Lists of Civil War Draft Registrations, 1863-1865. NM-65, entry 172, 620 volumes. Records of the Provost Marshal General’s Bureau (Civil War), Record Group 110. National Archives, Washington D.C.

"New Albany Tp - Eave Joseph - 36 - White - Farmer - Born France"

Singing On Sunday

On Sunday's, I love to be lazy, lay back in the recliner and listen to good music. I have an eclectic ear, so there are many genre's of music I listen to.

Today I am listening to:

Surname Saturday - A Ladies Game

How many surnames are in your family tree if you simply begin going backwards, from yourself, and following only maternal lines?

Here's mine:

Me: Cynthia Ann Beane

My Mother: Lois Velleda Dreher [married Beane]

My Grandmother: Irene Caroline Banet [married Dreher] 1906-1989

My Gr-Grandmother: Adeline Josephine Eve [married Banet] 1867-1958

My Gr-Gr-Grandmother: Annette DuBois [married Eve] 1840-1870

My Gr-Gr-Gr-Grandmother: Magdelena Houin [married DuBois] born 1821

And what about you? What does your maternal line look like?

Family Recipe Friday - Fried Squash Blossoms

As a teenager, my parents moved us from the hustle and bustle of the big city to a tiny hamlet in the hills of southern West Virginia. Back to our family's roots.

Each year, Mom and Dad raised a huge garden. Many of the foods I now absolutely love had not been eaten before then! I think I've said before, my Mom was NOT a gourmet chef. And at times, the foods she made were sadly slipped to the dogs outside, or into the garbage, without ever saying so to Mom. However, that being said, there were a few foods my Mom was stellar at. And this recipe was one of those!

Fried squash blossoms.

I know! Who'd have thought you could eat the things, right? But don't knock it till you've tried it!

Unfortunately, if you don't have a garden, you may never know how good this delicacy really is! And chances are, if you know someone who does have a garden and is raising squash, they won't share the blossoms with you, because this is from whence comes the squash!

BUT, if you do have a garden, and you feel that you can spare a few dozen squash, then pick those blossoms and give this a try!

You will need 2 - 4 dozen  yellow squash blossoms
1-1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg, beaten
1/2 - 3/4 cup milk
enough cooking oil to allow about 1/2-inch cooking in your favorite cast iron skillet
salt and pepper to taste

Wash your blossoms under running cold water, and dry by patting with a paper towel.

Mix the flour, egg and milk in a medium mixing bowl.

Heat the oil in your skillet over medium heat.

Dip the blossoms, one at a time in the batter mixture. [You can adjust the batter with more or less milk to a batter consistency you like. This isn't rocket science!]

Drop into the oil, and fry, turning after about 1-1/2 minutes, until golden brown.

Place on a paper towel to drain excess oil. Serve plain, or you can make a dipping sauce if you like. [You decide what kind of sauce you'd like best. I prefer a honey mustard sauce, but that is person preference. I also like them plain!]

Travel Thursday

Each Thursday we travel, by photo memento, to another place I have visited. Today we visit:

The Plaza at Grafenwoehr, Germany.

Wordless Wednesday [Almost]

John and Mary [Faudree] Bean and son, Walter [Buster].

About 1938.

These are my grandparents with my Dad.

Tombstone Tuesday

BEAN

MARY F.          JOHN M.

1897 - 1975          1866 - 1954

John Monroe Bean, Sr. was born in 1866 in Cincinatti, Ohio to William M. Bean [1832-1890] and Margaret Smith Perkins Bean [1828-1891].

Mary Elizabeth Faudree Bean was born 1897 in Centennial [now located between Gap Mills and Sweet Springs], West Virginia to Stephen L. Faudree [1857 - 1929] and Elizabeth Carnifax Faudree [1861 - 1929].

The couple had 3 sons together. [John had been married twice before and had 12 children from those marriages. Both of his previous wives died young.]

John and Mary are buried at New Zion Union Church Cemetery,  located in Waiteville, Monroe County, West Virginia. They are my grandparents.