Until We All Meet Again

By Nichole Giles

We prayed and prayed. And even though I wasn’t good at fasting—my body had always struggled to do without essential vitamins for more than 8 hours—we held a family fast. For the first time in 10 years, I was able to fast for a full 24 hours. But it wasn’t enough.

Carol was dying. Through all our prayers, our fasting, and many priesthood blessings, my husband Gary’s mother had survived—but after all was said and done, not one of us could deny the conviction with which we knew that the cancer would take her. She knew it too, and did her best to prepare the rest of us.

Meanwhile, life went on around her. The kids started school, my husband went to work, stores had monster sales, politicians campaigned for seats on the city council, and my two younger sisters planned weddings.

The first wedding, despite a somewhat tenuous relationship between the husband and wife-to-be, came together beautifully. My family handled all the preparations except the food, and we worked together as a team. It was perhaps one of the most beautiful settings for a wedding I had ever seen, but they didn’t get married in the temple. I listened to the finality of the bishop’s words, “For all your time on earth” and felt an undeniable sadness that my baby sister might never know the benefits of eternity.

The next wedding was different. You could feel it in everything. Again my family banded together to take care of the details, but this time, Gary and I were the only immediate family members who were able to attend the actual ceremony to see my sister sealed to her husband. I was the lucky one who escorted her through the endowment session the evening before. I held her hand, her face glowing and radiant, as she sat waiting for her true love to escort her through the veil.

I sat in the temple that day with my husband, watching my sister and her love join hands in bliss, and pondered the meaning of it all. Love and death. Here in this room, I could accept that Carol would soon be gone. Here in this room I could accept that this union I was witnessing would bring forth new life. And yet, tears welled up in my eyes and spilled over onto my cheeks.

The next day, even though I was only twenty-eight, I sat in a chair usually reserved for the mother of the bride—a place I was more than honored to sit—while the beautiful couple was joined for eternity. I had never been so proud.

The reception was a celebration to behold, and stretched out into the night long after the newlyweds were gone. I celebrated too, danced with my husband, my father, and both of my sons. And joy of joys, my daughter made a point of telling me that she hoped someday she would get to be married in the temple. And so we celebrated life.

Early the next morning, we received a phone call from Gary’s sister, Jennifer. “Mom’s going to be leaving us soon,” she said. “She slipped into a coma in the night, and we’re afraid it’s only a matter of minutes before she’s gone.”

Gary’s parents’ house wasn’t far away—only two miles or so—and we were dressed and there in record time. Jennifer was right. Carol’s eyes looked bruised—surrounded as they were by prominent dark circles—and they were closed. Every breath she took seemed to come right back out again, never seeming to make it anywhere deeper than her throat. The cancer had spread to her lungs and liver, causing her liver to shut down completely and allow fluid to build up inside her until she looked like a balloon that would pop. Her skin was a ghastly yellow pallor.

We gathered there, in that tiny bedroom, twelve people waiting for death. But Carol held on, insisting—even as she left this world—on waiting for everyone to arrive. One by one, her children and family members came to join the bedside vigil. Those last moments were precious as we each took a moment to tell her goodbye, shedding loving tears as she took her last breath and left us to pass through the veil.

Though she wasn’t my natural mother, a part of me felt broken, missing. We wandered around like zombies, fighting off the raw ache in order to do what needed to be done. Someone called the mortuary. Someone else started a phone tree to extended family members and close friends. An obituary was written, and the children were fed.

During all this, I couldn’t help but ponder the rapid pace at which joy turned into pain. It hurt. It hurt so bad I didn’t know how to deal with the feelings welling up inside me. Carol was no longer the person in pain—that was us now. By her leaving us behind, the roles had reversed.

Several days later, my sister returned from her honeymoon and called to see how we were doing. She sounded so happy—so utterly in love and at peace. And then it clicked. That feeling I’d been searching for returned. Of course we would see Carol again. My small children would have the opportunity to know her in another life, and to impart of her love and wisdom. And though they didn’t know it now, they would someday pass her genes and her spirit on to their children—who would also get to know her. The circle of life mirrors the blessings of eternity.

Lucky for me, I had a rare, and profound opportunity to witness both in a matter of two days.

It’s been six years since Carol passed away, but we remember her every day. Sometimes I feel the nearness of her spirit, and know she’s watching over us, taking time out of her busy schedule to protect us and help lead us in the right direction to find happiness and the fulfillment of our destinies.

Also in that time, between my two sisters and my married brother, I’ve gained three nieces and two nephews. I love those kids. I even got to witness two of them being born into the world. Life continues on into eternity.

And so it goes, until we all meet again

Varaieties of Squash

By Nichole Giles

Not long ago, my younger (single) brother called me, asking how to cook a papaya squash. Of course, he didn’t know it was a papaya squash—he only knew it was funny shaped, yellow, and came out of my garden. But he wanted to try it. A few days later, my younger sister called asking for yet more squash cooking instructions.

Since we moved a lot as we were growing up, we didn’t often have a backyard garden from which to experiment with different vegetable recipes. But now that I have a home and family of my own, I’ve discovered it might be possible to go a tiny bit overboard with our veggie-growing experiments.

My husband is the one with the green thumb. I can’t even keep houseplants alive. But he grows them, and I cook them and we balance each other out. At any rate, I have a handful of easy-to-cook favorites, and after describing the instructions over the phone a couple of times, I thought it would be fun to identify some different types of squash, and give simple instructions on cooking them.

Spaghetti Squash

This beautiful guy is shaped like an oval, and should be light yellow in color. To cook, slice in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, place in a glass-baking dish and cook for 7-10 minutes in the microwave, or an hour in the oven. We’ve also found that we enjoy dropping a tablespoon of butter or margarine in the middle, wrapping the squash in foil, and throwing it on the barbeque grill.

After cooking, scoop meat with fork. It should come out of the shell easily, and the texture should be somewhat noodle-like, but slightly crunchy. Top with butter and salt. YUM!

Banana Squash

Most people are intimidated by the very size of this baby, since it can grow as big as twelve pounds, and as long as 20-22 inches. How does one family ever eat a whole squash of this size, let alone several? And if you have a big enough family, how do you cook it?

To cook, first you must decide on how much you’d like to eat. Slice off the very end and toss the top (or bottom) in the garbage. Then, cut off a section of the squash. Cover the remaining squash with plastic wrap and store in a cool area, or even the refrigerator. Scoop the seeds out of the cut section, and peel away the skin (using a knife, because a peeler won’t do the job.) Chop the meat to bite-sized pieces and steam or boil until tender.

This squash can be served in a variety of ways.
A. Once cooked, simply serve as bite-sized pieces topped with butter and salt.
B. Or run through a blender or food processor and serve mashed potato style, with either butter and salt or cinnamon and sugar.
C. The mashed product can also be used for a soup base or in breads, pies, or other recipes.

Heart of Gold Squash

Heart of Gold squash looks very similar to a small pumpkin, except for the color. The light green skin, with darker green stripes, seems more suited to a melon than a squash, and is indicative of a sweet flavor. This delicious squash is super easy to cook, and one of my favorite varieties. Too bad the seeds and plants are so hard to find.

Both the skin and meat of this variety are soft, so it is easy to slice (unlike the spaghetti squash, which often needs the equivalent of a chainsaw) and cooks quickly.

Cut this squash lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. Depending on the number of people you’re feeding, you may choose to cook both sides at once, since it is a smaller squash. Place the halves skin-side down in a glass-baking dish. In the microwave: cook for 5-7 minutes. In the oven: cook for 15-20 minutes.

Again, serve with butter and salt or your favorite mixture of spices.

Papaya Squash

This guy looks sort of like a bright yellow pear on steroids. Like all varieties of squash, if left on the vine, they just keep growing and growing and growing. But this particular variety has quite a different taste. It is much more sweet than other varieties, sort of like butternut squash (which, I’m sorry to admit, is not a variety I know much about—yet.) As with all the other varieties, it tastes great with butter and salt, but recently, I tried a cinnamon sauce that was very yummy.

Warning: this baby is juicy, and the product it expels is nothing short of natural glue. Be prepared to scrub at your hands, cutting surface, knife, and anything else it touches before it’s cooked. Don’t worry, it’s worth it!

To cook, try any of the above instructions—they’ll work fine for this one too. Or, to try my cinnamon sauce recipe, cut off the top and bottom of the squash, slice lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. After removing the skin, chop the meat into bite-size pieces and steam for 3-4 minutes or until fork tender. Drain any remaining water. Add the following recipe, and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes in saucepan, microwave, or steamer.

Cinnamon Sauce:

4 Tbs butter or margarine
1 Tbs Cinnamon
1/3 C sugar
1-3 tsp cornstarch (depending on your desired thickness. I like mine thick.)

Melt butter in small saucepan. Mix together cinnamon, sugar, and cornstarch and add to melted butter. Stir until thick. Pour over partially cooked squash, cook for 1-2 more minutes. Enjoy!


Yellow Squash and Zucchini.

I know, I already covered zucchini once before. And yellow squash is so…boring, right? Because, whatever you can do with yellow squash, you can do with zucchini. And vice-versa. But if you’re looking for a unique and fun way to incorporate either or both of these squash into your diet—I mean, other than slicing and steaming them, which is always good, but gets old after a while—here’s a new one.

Wash the squash thoroughly and cut off top and bottom ends. Run through a food shredder—raw—being sure to leave it about three times the thickness of cheese, or at least similar to spaghetti noodles. Blanch in boiling water for approximately 1-2 minutes, or until still just slightly crunchy. Drain completely, and pat dry with paper towel. Serve topped with your favorite pasta sauce. (Personally, I like Alfredo, but marinara and pesto are also very good.) Add any of the toppings you’d add to your pasta dish—including sliced chicken, grilled veggies, or meatballs.

Blogging for Memories

By Nichole Giles

When my little sister’s family moved 1000 miles away, we all cried. Moving was a good thing for them—and I knew it. But that didn’t make it easier to kiss my two-year-old nephew goodbye—or hug my sister knowing I couldn’t get in the car and go see her whenever I had the urge to knock on her door.

That was two years ago. With the price of gas on the rise—and airline tickets along with it—visiting is becoming more difficult. Phone calls are a great lifeline, but don’t make up for missed occasions and sudden growth spurts.

That’s where blogging comes in. A family blog can act as a digital scrapbook, complete with music, countdown widgets, and all types of personalization. The best part is that blogs can be viewed from anywhere in the world. Wherever your family goes, they can find your blog.

But what about safety? As much as we want our loved ones to see the pictures we post, is blogging safe? Personally, I’m not comfortable having strangers sifting through pictures of my children on our most recent vacation, or on their first day of school, or at their birthday parties. But Blogger has offered a simple, safe, and easy solution to the problem. Some people don’t realize that Blogger has privacy options, which can be enabled to protect your precious memories, while still allowing you to share them across the world—with people you choose. These blog options must be enabled though, and then family and /or friends with whom you’d like to share your memories must be invited. It’s a simple solution, and so worth it.

To open your own blog, start out by going to Blogger.com and click the “Start a Blog” link. Following the directions is fairly simple, and takes mere minutes to complete. Make sure you read the tutorials so you understand how to post your entries. When you get to the settings page, watch for the “who may view this blog” option. Click the option that says, “Only invited readers.” You’ll then have the option to email an invitation to readers of your choice—and you can send an invitation at anytime by going to the settings page.

This is a fun option for those family members who live even a few miles away, and a fun addition, or even an alternative (sorry Kim!) to scrap booking. The best part is that since you are preserving family memories, there is no guilt like you might feel if you spent hours every day surfing the websites of strangers.

I still haven’t talked my sister into starting a blog, but my sister-in-law and I both have, and hopefully my sister will follow suit now that she’s due to give birth again this fall.

Our memories are precious, and in many ways, technology is a blessing. Take advantage of it!

Five-Way Zucchini

By Nichole Giles

One of my favorite things about summer is growing our own vegetables. Every spring, we take a trip to our local gardening center and stock up on more plants than we have room to grow. And every year, I give up flower-growing space to vegetable plants. Not because I don’t love flowers—seriously, I’ve yet to meet a woman who doesn’t have a certain soft spot for beautiful blooms—but because there is nothing more satisfying than cooking food you’ve planted, nurtured, and grown in your backyard garden.

As much as I love growing (and cooking) those veggies, when a single zucchini plant starts spitting out club-sized veggies every other day—it’s possible to run out of new and interesting ways to cook them. So, in the interest of saving your neighbors from receiving boxes of squash on their front porch three times a week, I’m going to share five of my family’s favorite recipes. Enjoy!


Appetizer:

Grilled Zucchini Dippers

You’ll need:
One large zucchini, or two small, sliced in strips three inches long and ¾ inch around (approximately.)
¼ cup low fat Italian salad dressing
1 Tbs Salad Supreme
1 Tbs Parmesan cheese


In a shallow bowl or baking dish, drizzle zucchini with dressing. Add Salad Supreme and Parmesan cheese and toss gently. Cook on top rack of pre-heated barbeque grill for 8-10 minutes or until only slightly crunchy. Serve with a side of ranch dressing for dipping.

Main Course:

Zucchini Casserole
This recipe was passed to me by the late Carol Giles, who got it from her aunt, Vee Harper. Thanks Aunt Vee!

You’ll need:
3 cups zucchini, sliced
2 cups grated carrots
½ cup chopped onions
1 lb country style ground sausage
2 Tbs butter or margarine
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup sour cream
2 pkgs Stove Top Stuffing Mix
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Sauté onions in a large skillet with butter until transparent. Add zucchini, carrots, and a little water. Cover and continue to cook until vegetables are tender. Brown sausage and drain off fat. Make stuffing as directed on package. Mix dressing with sausage until well blended. Pat ¾ of mix into a lightly greased casserole. Add soup and sour cream to vegetables (fold in carefully). Spread on top of stuffing. Top with remaining stuffing mix. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until hot and lightly browned. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top during the last few minutes of cooking.


Stuffed Zucchini

You’ll need:
1 large zucchini, or two smaller sized zucchini
½ lb ground sausage of your choice
½ box Stove Top Stuffing—prepared
¼ cup diced onions
1 can cream of mushroom soup
½ cup-1 cup Parmesan cheese

Shells:
Slice the zucchini in half, lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and discard, then scoop out the meat of the zucchini and set aside. Spray a large baking dish with cooking spray and place hollow zucchini shells inside. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

Filling:
Chop the zucchini meat into bite sized pieces, set aside. Brown the sausage, drain, and then add to prepared stuffing. In sausage drippings (no more than a tablespoon) sauté zucchini meat and onions. Drain leftover fat. Mix ½ can of soup with vegetables, and then add mixture to stuffing.

Stuffing the shells:
Spoon filling into zucchini shells until you can’t fit any more inside or on top. Top with cheese. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.


Side Dish:

Baked Zucchini Bites

You’ll need:
1 medium zucchini chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 Tbs olive oil
1 dash each of dried oregano, basil, and thyme
3 dashes of Salad Supreme
3 dashes powdered Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
(Any of your favorite spices could be used on this!)

In a medium sized mixing bowl, drizzle oil over zucchini and toss lightly. Sprinkle spices, Salad Supreme, and cheese liberally and mix until zucchini is well coated. Spread evenly on un-greased cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 15 minutes or until fork tender.


Desert:

Chocolate Zucchini Bread
(From Carol Giles)

You’ll need:
½ cup margarine
¼ cup oil
1 ¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp soda
2 ½ cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
2 cups zucchini (no seeds or peelings)
¼ cup chocolate chips (optional)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp vinegar
½ cup milk
4 Tbs cocoa
½ cups chopped nuts (optional for those of us who don’t like nuts!)

Cream margarine, oil and sugar. Add eggs and beat. Sift all dry ingredients. Add vinegar to milk. Add to creamed mixture alternately with dry ingredients. Makes two loaves. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and add nuts if desired. Bake at 325 for 45 minutes.