Graduation night at the Citizen's Police Academy

I'm really going to have withdrawal pains!  One night a week for the last two months, I have attended the Brighton Police Department's Citizens' Police Academy and what a joy it has been.  Last night was our "graduation."  We received our certificate and a mug.

Throughout eight weeks, we learned about the police department and the criminal justice system in New York State.  We toured our County Jail (admittedly, that was too graphic for me), we toured the training center for police and fire fighters, we had a presentation from the Monroe County District Attorney and the Public Defender, we saw the firearms and tools used by the police, and we came up close and personal to a German Shepard Police dog, and so much more.  In between, we talked one-on-one with the Police Chief and Sgt. Bruzda, who led our group.

I came away with a renewed respect for the police and the work they do.  We even learned interesting bits of information you won't see in the news about past and current crimes that made the headlines.  One night, an undercover drug enforcement office spoke.  He told about close encounters he's had with the sleazy drug dealers in our county.  Someone asked, "How does your family deal with this?"  He said, "I don't tell them things like I've told you tonight!"

Yes, I loved being part of this group and may even attend again in future years.  Many police departments have this type of program.  If there is one in your area, I urge you to attend.  It's great!

Marinated Vegetables

This is a wonderful recipe I got from a co-worker.  It tastes great and is an excellent way to incorporate more vegetables into your diet.

Marinade:

1 cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon dill weed
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic salt
ground pepper to taste

Mix the marinade recipe together and pour over the following cut into bite size pieces:

1 bunch broccoli
1 head of cauliflower
1/2 - 1 pound mushrooms
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 can artichoke hearts
1 cup kalamata olives

Chill in refrigerator before serving.  This is a real taste treat.

I love my Griddler

My kitchen is my "playroom."  I love all kinds of cooking, from smoking meat or grilling outside, to stirfry, roasting, crock pot cooking . . . I love to cook and bake.

One of my kitchen tools that I especially like is my Griddler.  I've had it quite a few years now and use it a lot.  It has reversible plates, one side is flat for frying, the other has ridges for grilling.  And the nice thing, they go right in the dishwasher!  There is even a hidden tray to collect run off grease.

It makes great paninis and grilled cheese sandwiches.  In the winter, I use it to grill steaks or hamburgers, when I can't fire up the grill in two feet of snow out back.

Mine is one of the original models that came out.  It is just basic, big enough for me, no frills, but it does a great job in the kitchen.

Spring time in Rochester, NY

The view out my front door this morning.  Just when I was thinking it was safe to put the snowblower in summer storage!

Another great salsa recipe

Salsa was never one of my favorite foods until I discovered homemade salsa!  Here is a batch I am going to make tomorrow.  I have the dried black beans soaking overnight.

2 cups cooked black beans
1 papaya, chopped
1  mango, chopped
1 cup chopped pineapple, juice reserved
4 limes
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Run the limes through a juicer.  Combine all ingredients and mix well.  This is a real crowd pleaser.

A grilled cheese sandwich with pizazz!

I found this recipe posted on Facebook and decided to give it a try.  I love it!  As you can see from the recipe, there is room for your own ideas.  You can vary the cheese, the type of bread, or possibly add another ingredient.  Here is the way I made it.

Two slices of multi-grain bread
softened butter
olive oil
sliced mozzarella cheese
a slice of tomato
sliced avocado
salt to taste

Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread.  Brush the other side with olive oil.

On the olive oil side, spread cheese, avocado and the tomato.  Sprinkle with salt.

Top with the other slice of bread.

Grill on a preheated Griddler or panini press for about 5 minutes.

Delicious!

A real jolt

I think I am a strong, resilient person, having proved that through trials and tribulations over the years and always landing on my feet.

Then I took a 2 hour tour of our county jail as part of my Citizens Police Academy.  Wow. . .

It wasn't pretty and it was unsettling, to put it in delicate terms.  We came up close and personal with multiple individuals who had totally trashed their lives.

What feelings did I come away with?  I am grateful that I had a better foundation in life, that I own my home, that I have family and friends that care for me, I have a job, I am educated and capable of making wise choices - well, most of the time, that I have known the love of dogs that think I am wonderful and eagerly look forward to me coming home, that I am free to come and go as I please and do whatever I want.

As I listened to one of the guards speaking and letting us know what to expect behind the next door, I couldn't help saying to her, "My heart goes out to you."  She looked at me with a forlorn look and said, "Thank you."

37, 43, 42, 37, 38, 39

So you are thinking, "Sherry won the lottery and these are the winning numbers!"

No, it's even better than that!  The numbers are the projected high temperatures for Rochester for Monday through Saturday this week.  Please note that they are all above the freezing mark!  That's a BIG deal when you have endured the winter we have had this year.

Quote for the day

Nothing is impossible.  The word itself says, "I'm possible." . . . . Audrey Hepburn

Does this mean I can push a button and immediately it will be Spring and all this (expletive deleted) snow and ice will go away???

And so it is March

Rochester suffered through a harsh winter and there is still a 2 foot wall of snow on either side of my driveway.  But we have something to show for it. . . February was the coldest month on record.  For just 6 hours during the entire month, the temperature rose above the freezing point.

The question is, what will March bring?  March in Rochester can be an extention of winter or the days can be warm and sunny.  So far, it is an extention of winter.

I look forward to wearing short sleeves, sending my winter coat to the cleaners, going to the gun range, smoking meat in my Weber smoker and sitting by the smoker enjoying that wonderful smell, inflating the tires in my bike and taking off for points unknown. . . anything that invovles being outside again.