I came across a recipe that I got from an old friend Maja. I have had the recipe about 20 years. Even though I haven't seen her in a long time, it reminds me of things we used to do and the things I learned from her.

 

Green and White Vegetable Casserole

2 - 10 oz packages frozen chopped spinach thawed

1 - 6 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts

2 T butter

1 medium onion chopped

5-6 sliced mushrooms

1/4t nutmeg

3/4 t oregano

 1 can condensed cream of celery soup

4 eggs lightly beaten

1/8 t pepper

1 - 8 oz package cream cheese

1/3 c milk

1/3 c grated parmesan cheese

 

Squeeze out moisture from spinach.

 

Drain artichoke hearts and reserve 2 T marinade. Chop artichoke hearts.

 

Heat marinade and butter in frying pan. Saute onions and mushrooms until onions are soft.

 

Stir in spinach, soup, artichoke hearts, nutmeg, oregano, eggs and pepper.

 

Spoon mixture into a flat 2 qt casserole dish.

 

In a bowl, beat cream cheese with parmesan and milk. Spread over the spinach mixture.

 

Bake at 325° for 35 minutes or until center feels firm.

 

 

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For Christmas I bought my husband another wine decanter. The one I bought him last year is more my style, an ornate older style. Rich likes a more modern line to things. So I went to Renaissance, our wine shop, and bought one of the decanters I thought he liked. It wiped out the remainder of what I had to spend, but I wanted to get him something he liked. I also bought a membership in the wine club there - so I got 20% off, which almost paid for itself on this purchase.

 

Rich opened it Christmas morning and I discovered it was the one decanter in the store he didn't like. Naturally I had lost the receipt. Fortunately Mike has an excellent record-keeping system. He had no problem exchanging the decanter for one of the many ones Rich had admired. We went back and were able to buy two decanters and a bottle of wine for the price of the one I purchased. The people in the store and my husband all tried to make me feel better. 

 

The decanter is useful when we serve our favorite Syrah - Rockblock. It often has a sediment that with careful handling and decanting does not end up in the glass.

 

The decanter were by Riedel.

The two Rich liked were 1440/13 and 1977/26. The one I bought to begin with was 1600/26.

 

Here is the link to Domaine Serene which makes Rockblock. http://www.domaineserene.com

 

Renaissance still doesnt have a website, but they are in Orenco Station in Hillsboro, OR.