Memory Lane ~ School Days

Well, it is mid September and every kid I know is back in school.  The earliest start was 7 August and the last one I know of trudged in on 3 September.

Back in 'my day' school started after Labor Day.  It was proceeded with major shopping trips... clothes and shoes to replace what didn't fit any more... 

(and if the shoe still fit... a little shoe polish would make it look new)

new school supplies... 

definitely a new lunch box...

  

First day teacher would check off our names and hand out the books.

Then a trip to the bathroom to wash up for the day.

(Yes, my elementary school really did have one of those hand wash stations).

Remember papers printed on the mimeograph machine?  You either loved or hated that smell.

I hated it!

When this rolled out, you knew there's be a lot of notes to take.

Paper cutters scared me to death!  There was always some story about a teacher who had cut a finger off using one.  Funny tho... I never saw a teacher missing a finger.

But you never know...

Uh-huh...

Then when you found the book, you had to fill out the card to check it out.

If your info was in this... you had a lot of hand copying to do.  No photo copiers back then!

Now armed with books of information it was time to sharpen your pencils...

... and get to your desk to work.

These where the desks we had in elementary school.  And yes, that lid dropped down on my fingers more than once!

The big kid desks we had in the high school.

Remember walking into class and see this?  Odds were for a good morning then!

And if you saw THIS... it was a great morning!

Golden Summer Squash Bake (Recipe)

On one of our trips out to the produce auction I got a half bushel of yellow squash at an unbelievable price.  Some I gave away, but I still had a bunch to use.  I was not interested in that oh-so-common yellow squash casserole everyone knows.  An internet search discovered one that sounded interesting... and I changed it up a bit to make it even more interesting!

Southern Squash Casserole

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

2 pounds yellow summer squash, about 6 medium squash, washed & sliced evenly

Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup sour cream

1 egg, beaten

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, DIVIDED

about a 1/2 cup Panko

2 tablespoons butter, melted

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add olive oil and butter and swirl to melt and coat. Add the sliced squash, season generously with salt and pepper, and sautée for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover the pot with a lid and continue cooking for 15 minutes longer, stirring every few minutes, or until the squash is very tender.

Stir in the minced garlic during the last 5 minutes of the cooking time.

Add more salt and pepper until the squash is well-seasoned.

Adjust oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 350°F.

 Grease an 8-inch square casserole dish with softened butter. Transfer the cooked squash to a large bowl and mash it with a potato masher to desired consistency. Mix in the sour cream to cool down the mixture (so that the egg doesn't scramble)(OR let the stuff cool while you do something else), then stir in the egg, cheddar, and 1/4 cup of the grated Parmesan until well-blended. Transfer mixture to the prepared baking dish and smooth the top.

Sprinkle the top of the squash mixture with the Panko and the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan, then drizzle with the melted butter (personally I melt the butter and mix the Panko & Parm in). Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Serve warm.

Photos for Sept

Summertime in Tennessee... fresh produce, flowers, and thunderstorms.

Yes!  They really were that big and juicy sweet too.

Extending My Hiatus

I'm still covered over with things that need to get done.  So my blogging break is going to extend at least another couple weeks... maybe thru August.  I don't know but I will be back by September.

Ahem...

Summer Break

Guess this is just going to become a regular thing with me... the July Blog Break.  

See you in August!

Celebrate Independence