Zada's Chocolates

This is NOT a picture of Zada's chocolates ...

As far as I know, we don't have a photo of Grandma Zada's candies. Back in the day before digital photos, when pictures required film and developing, photos were fewer and further between, and I'm thinking Grandma didn't think to take a picture of her candies. After all, they were for eating, not for looking at.

Grandma made a wide variety of candies. I can remember divinity, an assortment of dipped chocolates, and recently uncovered in the Westra archives, is a recipe (in Grandma Zada's handwriting) for English Toffee. 

I don't know if Grandma has the instructions (in addition to the ingredients) written somewhere, or if she just knew the steps well enough that she didn't write them down. Toffee can be tricky. You need to combine and heat the butter, sugar, water, syrup and salt to "hard crack" (295°-305° on a candy thermometer) add the vanilla, and pour into a prepared pan. Melt the chocolate and spread over the hardened candy, and top with nuts (if desired). 

Once, when Jen was a teen, she tried making some English Toffee. She got distracted and left the kitchen for a bit ... while the concoction was heating on the stove. Then, remembering and returning to the kitchen she found it FULL of smoke. Little Derek was in the kitchen, standing looking up at the layer of smoke that was almost to his head. Jen grabbed the pot and dashed out the back door then opened all the windows to let the kitchen air out. The "candy" was a blackened, circular briquet. It was a while before Jen attempted toffee again!

Passing Down the "Pie in a Pan"

Grandma Norman (Zada) was known for her pies (as well as her candy and her parkerhouse rolls). In a simpler version of "pie" ...this CoolWhip Dessert, was one that I have in my "Westra Classics" recipe book, and the credit/origin noted is Zada Norman. And while I'm sure Grandma wouldn't consider this one of her classic recipes to be remembered by, it's the one I make the most. 

Unlike the photo above, instead of Hershey's syrup, Grandma Norman would put chocolate shavings on hers. I remember once, grabbing one of the chocolate curls and putting it in my mouth and YUCK ... it was unsweetened chocolate. Yummy when eaten with the sweet dessert, but not alone!

Grandma once tried to teach the Westra girls how to make her classic pie crusts. It didn't really take. Who knew that Shane would be the pie maker in the family?!  Many a family dinner ended with chocolate, banana cream or lemon-meringue pie from Grandma. And then at one point, the dessert above was introduced. I never mastered pie crusts, or the pie-crust cookies that were made with the scraps... but the "Pie in a Pan" has become a favorite at the Blackham home.  It's SO easy, and if you sub out the flour for the crust with a gluten-free blend, it can work for the Celiac crowd too.  Here's the recipe ...

Cool Whip Dessert (Zada Norman)

½ Cup Butter
1 Cup Flour
8oz Cream Cheese
1 Cup Powdered Sugar
1 Cup (rounded) Whipped Topping
3oz pkg Chocolate Pudding
2½ Cup Milk

(remaining Whipped Topping over the top)  

Melt butter, add flour and stir into a dough. Press/Pat the dough into an even depth across the bottom of an 8x11 baking dish. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Cool. Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar and Whipped Topping. Beat until smooth and spread evenly over the cooled crust. Mix pudding and milk, and spread it over the cream cheese layer. Refrigerate to set. Top with Cool Whip. Can add grated chocolate or Hershey's syrup if desired. 

I NEEDED to make a panful for the picture ... now, I need to eat some!

Including Information When Uploading Photos to Family Search

In Family Search, the "Memories" section with pictures and documents is fun and helpful. You can start adding memories to your own "person page" anytime. We found this great picture of Lucille Erskine, who is Grandpa Westra's Mom. About 1929. We don't have a lot of other information on this pic - just a name and approximate date. It would be so great to have as much information about picture submissions ... so that's something to think about as you add photos to Family Search. When the weekly Westra Family History challenge a few weeks ago was about adding photos, Chris noticed that most of the pictures added for the challenge didn't include any information. 

So besides the actual photo, what other "metadata" or info can you add to a pic in Family Search Memories?  In addition to the Title, and Labeling the Face, you can also add a Topic Tag, Event Date, Event Place, Event Description.  You can add the picture to an Album (that you have created) or you can add a Story about the pic.  You can also add comments below the photo, and you can even record snippets of audio. So that's TEN items of information that you can add to any photo that you add.  

The web view on a computer and the presentation on the app can be different, so check both out if possible. It would be great to be comfortable with both options. 

If someone else uploaded a photo, you can still add some of that information (for example, you can Label the face and add a comment, but you can't add or change a title).  The phone app only shows you limited options on a pic you didn't upload.  

As the original uploader, you have access to all available fields. The four green icons on the bottom right are where you add a topic tag (for example, birthday or graduation or vacation), and then "comment", add audio, and face labeling.  If you click on details (upper right), then you have the options to fill in Title, Description, Date, Place, Public or Private, and Photo or Document.  

This was a Family History Challenge for April 4, 2021, with a follow-up from Chris. 

Margie's Messages Family Challenge

The Family History Challenges Continue ...

The weekly Westra Family History challenge to end March wasn't going to FamilySearch.Org this time, but to another website. Margie'sMessages. This is a site that Mom/Margie started to provide good resources on many topics. It's been a labor of love over the last many years.  Chris has been helping, reworking the site and adding info. Mom wanted to make sure the grandkids knew about the site, so that was this week's challenge.

Chris sent out the following ... Grandma and I have spent a LOT of time building out her Margie's Messages Gospel Topics website at https://www.margiesmessages.com/ Her website is in the top one percent of the top one percent of ALL websites in the world, getting an average of 134 visitors each day, and 53 first time visitors each day. But, she wants YOU to know where her site is, and how to use it. So, today's challenge is to send the following three items back to me.

1. Look through the list of topics and then let me know how many topics we have on the page right now.
2. What topic could you use a message from right now? Media? Motivation? Prayer?
3. Look through the image quotes at the bottom of that topic page (once you click into it), and send your favorite one to me. 

Here is mine,  from the Attitude topic. 

As usual, the speediest reply will get an extra reward. Kadan won last time. We also have an extra reward if you suggest a new topic that we end up using (note, Grandma is picky about this as she emphasizes quality pages, not just quantity). So we welcome all suggestions, but for the reward Grandma has to agree that it is different enough from current topics to warrant adding it. The goal of this challenge is to help you be aware of Margie's Messages so you can use it for help, inspiration, and talk preparation. Do share it with your friends also!

You can see the submissions above. While the names are included in some of the screen shots, they are not there for all of them. You can check out the original screenshots, labeled with names. They are in the family Dropbox, under the year 2021, Family History challenges.

Chris let Mom know afterward ...  I wasn't too particular about the number of topics - so that was my mistake because people got caught up trying to get the exact number. I should have worded it better. So Mom, you can see what topics they chose and also see the additional topic ideas. Let me know what you think. Janika has two screenshots below because she followed up on her idea for LGBTQ topic. Jaiden won the speed award - she wasn't going to lose out again - she barely beat Rella and Jenna by only a couple minutes.

Ironically, notice Jaiden's favorite image quote ... 

"so think big and motivate yourself to win".  She won!

Wendy wrote: I really love this! I love seeing the responses from the grandchildren and the quotes that they chose and why, as well as their ideas for new topics. A new topic that I thought of was anxiety. Grandma already has mental health, but anxiety is such a huge issue right now, that I think it would warrant a separate topic.

Blackham Boy Poetry

 The Blackham Boys don't write poetry per se ... but there have been some school assignments!

In December 2016, Keaton tried a little experiment, eating a cashew to see if he was still allergic. Yes. Yes he is.  When he had to write a poem for his English class the next week, the experience was his inspiration!

I ate cashews

I nearly died

My throat swelled up

My tongue got tied

My eyes dilated

My skin was dried

"I guess I'm still allergic"

I sadly sighed

There was also a limmerick ...

The boy's face was swollen and red.

He was itching all over his head.

He ate a cashew

He's allergic, it's true

Some Benadryl, and then to bed!

In younger years, Cooper liked to "collect" license plates. Trying to see how many states he could find while we'd be out and about. A trip to Seattle really helped his collection (taking pictures and keeping them on his ipod). In 5th grade, this collection inspired a poem (for a school assignment). 

License plates, license plates

All across the United States.

As I travel in my car

Whether I’m going near or far

I look at the license plates.

In Utah, our cars show what is in our state

Everyone knows the skiing is great!

Or if you like it dry and hot

Give our National Parks a shot.

There are some license plates are just plain yellow.

Like New Mexico. A good place to go and be mellow.

New York and Alaska have yellow plates too.

But Texas, Indiana and Idaho’s are red, white and blue.

Florida features oranges on its plate.

It is also known as the “Sunshine State.”

Both Ohio and Iowa take time to show

The beautiful land where they plant and grow.

Hawaii shows a rainbow so high

Up against a blue, blue sky.

California and Illinois plates are pretty plain.

Except for the fancy cursive of their name.

South Carolina has a plane. They were “first in flight”.

Wyoming shows a cowboy, putting up a fight.

Oregon features a tall tree of green.

But in Arizona, only a cactus can be seen.

Wisconsin says it’s America’s dairy land.

Washington and Colorado feature mountains grand.

Minnesota features it’s 10,000 lakes.

While Nevada proclaims it’s the “Silver State”

Of course there’s a lot more that we could name.

Like Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and Maine.

I keep a look out in my car.

But those states are so very far.

Maybe now you’ll start looking too.

To see different states, many or few.

Make it a contest, make it a game.

None of the license plates are exactly the same.

I found a lot … how about you?

Yes, Mom "helped" some with the poem. Fast forward several years to this week, and once again, Coop had to write a poem for school. You know there are many different types of poetry, with different rhyme patterns, line counts, etc. Have you heard of a "Villanelle" poem? You have likely heard one, even if you weren't aware of the actual name. "Do not go gentle into that good night. Old age should burn and rage at end of day. Rage, rage, against the dying of the light." (see HERE for the full poem). For English class, Cooper had to write his own Villanelle poem. All the classic examples sounded so complex that Coop was a little intimidated. I told him that he could use subjects closer to home, and just follow the six stanza, ABA, repeating line structure. I came up with a couple examples for him ...

... and then he came up with his own (and got an A)

I really like to wear shoes

In my closet there is a lot

So many different pairs to choose

Tripping over and getting a bruise

I make sure to tie my laces in a knot

I really like to wear shoes

On the Nike website my brother and I views

Lots of cool shoes that we could have bought

So many different pairs to choose

I will wear them if I go on a cruise

Maybe even on a yacht

I really like to wear shoes

One of my favorites is the Epic React 2’s

I wear them in the gym when I squat

So many different pairs to choose

When I wear them I will not lose

Wearing basketball shoes is when I take my shot

I really like to wear shoes

So many different pairs to choose

Gems Jotted Down by Jensen Kids

 As there has been a focus on Poetry here on the blog recently, I thought I'd feature some poetry from the next generation (to see if it really is in the genes *Ü*). I stuck "poem" into the search bar in the Jensen Journal and found a few to feature here. I also searched Dropbox and found this classic poem from Josh to start us off ...

Good things to come

I love to run

Soccer is fun

That is my poem.

Wendy had saved this little poem Janelle made about Janika ...

Made even more special with the original artwork!

Creative ways to ask/answer for dances would often use rhyme.

Here's a poem from Jase. It got him the date.

Tomorrow - we'll feature some poetry from the Blackham Boys.

We'd love to feature the other families too!

Send pictures/poems to Jen to be showcased in a future post!

Documenting Your Dwelling

 

Here on the blog, we've done several spotlights on where our ancestors lived. Before pictures were so easy to come by in today's technology, finding photos that show the houses from years past are few and far between. Mom/Margie as commented that she wishes she had more pictures of the house she grew up in, and while we do have some photos of the Hermitage House, it would have been nice to have more. Pictures of the outside, the yard, the various rooms. Often we can see parts or portions behind a person, who is the subject of the shot ... but what about taking pictures OF your house, just for the sake of documenting your dwelling?

Derek and Danielle have done a great job decorating their home. They are always adding new projects and clever creations. As a little side-hustle (one of many) D&D have an Instagram and Website to showcase their home and their projects, often with step-by-step instructions. They had Alicia come and capture their home on camera ... both for social media sharing and because it's great to have these things preserved in pictures.  I know it's probably a photography faux pas  to crop/collage these pictures ... but they are all are included in their entirety in Dropbox (D&D/2021). 

Here's a little look at Derek's wallpapering project ... 

Quite the camouflage. 

Consider this a challenge, to make sure you document your dwelling and decor!

Take pictures and write up what you remember, what makes your house a home.

Check out all the Home Sweet Home posts here on the blog.