If you have been impatiently waiting for Christmas to get here, you are one lucky person. When I was a kid the space between Christmases was forever and a day. Now I barely get all of the Christmas decorations down, packed away and forgotten about and it’s time to resurrect them again. In one aspect that is not bad, because the Christmas season is one of my favorite ones but also the most overwhelming.
I solved a great deal of the drama a few years ago when I quit buying, wrapping and transporting gifts. I know the original thought was in remembrance of the Magi bringing gifts to the Christ Child and God’s gift of, and sacrificing him for our benefit, but don’t you think that perhaps we have overdone it? Let’s try to return to the original meaning of Christmas.
There will be no suggestion for Christmas delicacies this week. Why not concentrate on food for our souls? You know better than I what your thoughts and needs are, so everyone is responsible for his own action. Each year I receive fewer Christmas cards, but I do enjoy them. Each year it seems that I get mine done later. Almost overdid it this year but hope the last few arrive before the weekend. I was looking at mine again this evening and I am going to pass on to you some thoughts that are not original but were quite meaningful to me. Hope you agree.
May you always have the gift of faith, the blessing of hope and the peace of Christ’s love at Christmas.
May Christmas surround you with beauty, touch you with warmth and fill you with joy.
May peace, blessings, good health and happiness be yours this Christmas and throughout the New Year.
A very Merry Christmas to each of you and your families.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Thursday, December 15, 2011
12/15/11
I am wondering if it is worth my while to put up some outdoor Christmas lights. The date tells me to forget it, but the weather report gives such a positive outlook for the day that I just might get myself motivated. I do enjoy it after it is accomplished, but I didn’t get it done last year and the world continued to turn on its axis.
Let’s all extend our heartfelt concern to the three area teens and their families who were critically wounded in a recent tragic car-truck accident. Although they were residents of a neighboring town they all had Edgerton connections. When you live in a small town community everyone becomes important to you. As in my family, we laugh together in good times and cry together when adverse circumstances unexpectedly appear. May God bring peace and send a healing hand to each of the injured girls and to their families.
There aren’t many days left to accomplish all of the Christmas ideas that I had in November. I find myself eliminating a few and already my first resolution has been broken. I was really going to address my Christmas cards early. If you do not get one from me, just think that you were on my list but I didn’t get it accomplished.
I spent Sunday afternoon making my usual 5 pounds of fudge that has been part of my families Christmas for about 50 years, and the annual microwave peanut brittle that is a family favorite. They both turned out well, in spite of my laboring with them on Sunday!
I spent too much time trying to decide on recipes for today, so I will start with one that is very simple that you might use when your family is expecting a filling entrée , and you have fiddled too long with Christmas delicacies.
QUICK HAMBURGER-CHEESE CASSEROLE
1 pound ground beef, browned and drained
1 can cheddar cheese soup
3 cups, cooked macaroni
2/3 cup milk
1 can fried onion rings
Mix all ingredients together, except onion rings.Pour into buttered casserole. Top with onion rings. Bake at 325degrees until heated through and onion rings are browned (about 15 minutes).
Maybe lemon bars are not a Christmas favorite of your family, but someone recently told me that she always bakes them every year for a Christmas treat. Maybe this will be the year that you try it. Save the recipe for an everyday specialty.
FRESH LEMON BARS
2 old fashioned or quick oatmeal (not instant)
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 can (14oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
½ cup fresh lemon juice
Butter a 9 x 13 baking pan. In a large bowl combine
oats, flour, sugar and salt. Add butter. Stir until
blended. Remove one scant cup of the mixture and set aside. Firmly press the balance of the dough evenly over the bottom of the prepared pan. Combine condensed milk with the lemon peel. Gradually add lemon juice. Pour over dough. Crumble reserved dough and sprinkle over lemon mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Cool and refrigerate until cold. Cut into bars. Sprinkle with powdered sugar just before serving.
I just read a hint about softening butter which I should have known last week when I was baking a lot of cookies. Fill a small bowl with hot water. Let set a few minutes. Empty and turn upside down over the butter and let set a few minutes. It should soften the butter to working consistency.
Let’s all extend our heartfelt concern to the three area teens and their families who were critically wounded in a recent tragic car-truck accident. Although they were residents of a neighboring town they all had Edgerton connections. When you live in a small town community everyone becomes important to you. As in my family, we laugh together in good times and cry together when adverse circumstances unexpectedly appear. May God bring peace and send a healing hand to each of the injured girls and to their families.
There aren’t many days left to accomplish all of the Christmas ideas that I had in November. I find myself eliminating a few and already my first resolution has been broken. I was really going to address my Christmas cards early. If you do not get one from me, just think that you were on my list but I didn’t get it accomplished.
I spent Sunday afternoon making my usual 5 pounds of fudge that has been part of my families Christmas for about 50 years, and the annual microwave peanut brittle that is a family favorite. They both turned out well, in spite of my laboring with them on Sunday!
I spent too much time trying to decide on recipes for today, so I will start with one that is very simple that you might use when your family is expecting a filling entrée , and you have fiddled too long with Christmas delicacies.
QUICK HAMBURGER-CHEESE CASSEROLE
1 pound ground beef, browned and drained
1 can cheddar cheese soup
3 cups, cooked macaroni
2/3 cup milk
1 can fried onion rings
Mix all ingredients together, except onion rings.Pour into buttered casserole. Top with onion rings. Bake at 325degrees until heated through and onion rings are browned (about 15 minutes).
Maybe lemon bars are not a Christmas favorite of your family, but someone recently told me that she always bakes them every year for a Christmas treat. Maybe this will be the year that you try it. Save the recipe for an everyday specialty.
FRESH LEMON BARS
2 old fashioned or quick oatmeal (not instant)
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 can (14oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
½ cup fresh lemon juice
Butter a 9 x 13 baking pan. In a large bowl combine
oats, flour, sugar and salt. Add butter. Stir until
blended. Remove one scant cup of the mixture and set aside. Firmly press the balance of the dough evenly over the bottom of the prepared pan. Combine condensed milk with the lemon peel. Gradually add lemon juice. Pour over dough. Crumble reserved dough and sprinkle over lemon mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Cool and refrigerate until cold. Cut into bars. Sprinkle with powdered sugar just before serving.
I just read a hint about softening butter which I should have known last week when I was baking a lot of cookies. Fill a small bowl with hot water. Let set a few minutes. Empty and turn upside down over the butter and let set a few minutes. It should soften the butter to working consistency.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
12/6/11
With the complications of another dreary, rainy Monday morning and a computer that is giving me fits, I certainly hope that all of my “magic moments” have not escaped my frazzled mind. My computer is on the same page with my car—if it works when I turn on the ignition and shift the gears, I am ready to go. Otherwise, I find myself way out in left field. A new problem surfaced this morning when I turned on my computer. After starting and stopping it several times, I think I am in the “go” status. Hope it lasts until I get this on its way to you.
This last week was a busy one for me, with several opportunities to discover magic moments. Will try to concentrate on two, after getting my inner self quieted down from my frustrations this morning, which should make me change from my habit of procrastination. But at my age, is change possible?
Yesterday furnished a double pleasure making it a magic day. I spent it with three daughters and a great granddaughter and attended the Bethlehem Walk at Fairview Missionary Church near Angola. It was a fantastic production, produced by the members of the church, taking you back to the day after Christ’s birth in the city of Bethlehem. It is hard to describe the costumes and sense of reality that it portrayed. It was a great experience. An added blessing was when we stopped at a department store, we were overwhelmed when we saw a son and daughter-in-law from Wauseon shopping in Angola! Just goes to show you that magic moments are where we least expect to find them.
Last Saturday I attended the funeral of a long, long time friend. She was the sister-in-law of a classmate and friend of mine with whom I lived with in Ft. Wayne during our working days after high school. She was a bridesmaid at my wedding. Our married lives scattered us to different parts of the country. Really, I just stayed here and she ended up in Massachusetts. We rarely see each other anymore, but I do have email contact with her. When I asked if she were coming back for the funeral she told me that she has had a back injury and was not able to travel, but that a son and his wife and a daughter would be at the funeral. It took some micromanaging but I did it and saw them after the funeral. They were very gracious and even took a picture of me with them to show their mother! This made me late for a previous luncheon appointment, but it was a very pleasant experience.
When I look at today’s date, it reminds me how close Christmas really is. So if I can find the 1992 magazine that I have been saving for Christmas recipes, I will get this to the editor in time to make the paper.
CHOCOLATE PECAN TREATS
1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (can substitute milk chocolate if you prefer)
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
½ cup flaked coconut
½ cup finely chopped pecans
¼ cup sweetened condensed milk
16 vanilla wafers
Over hot water, not boiling, combine chocolate
morsels and shortening. Stir until melted and
smooth. Remove from heat. Let stand over hot water
for 20 minutes. In a small bowl, combine coconut, pecans
sweetened milk. Stir until well blended. Spoon one rounded
measuring spoonful of coconut mixture on each vanilla wafer.
Place on wire rack over waxed paper lined cookie sheet. Pour
scant tablespoonful of melted chocolate over each cookie.
Chill until chocolate is set.
PECAN PUMPKIN PIE
Pumpkin layer: 1 egg
1 cup solid pack pumpkin
1/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 unbaked 9 inch pie shell
Pecan layer: 2 eggs
2/3 cup light corn syrup
½ cup white sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
½ teaspoon vanilla
Beat egg, pumpkin, sugar and. spice. Spread over bottom of pie shell.
In same bowl beat eggs, stir in syrup, sugar butter and vanilla. Stir in nuts.
Spoon over pumpkin mixture. Bake in 350 degree oven for 50 minutes.
May you all find peace, joy and many Magic Moments. in your lives this Christmas season.
This last week was a busy one for me, with several opportunities to discover magic moments. Will try to concentrate on two, after getting my inner self quieted down from my frustrations this morning, which should make me change from my habit of procrastination. But at my age, is change possible?
Yesterday furnished a double pleasure making it a magic day. I spent it with three daughters and a great granddaughter and attended the Bethlehem Walk at Fairview Missionary Church near Angola. It was a fantastic production, produced by the members of the church, taking you back to the day after Christ’s birth in the city of Bethlehem. It is hard to describe the costumes and sense of reality that it portrayed. It was a great experience. An added blessing was when we stopped at a department store, we were overwhelmed when we saw a son and daughter-in-law from Wauseon shopping in Angola! Just goes to show you that magic moments are where we least expect to find them.
Last Saturday I attended the funeral of a long, long time friend. She was the sister-in-law of a classmate and friend of mine with whom I lived with in Ft. Wayne during our working days after high school. She was a bridesmaid at my wedding. Our married lives scattered us to different parts of the country. Really, I just stayed here and she ended up in Massachusetts. We rarely see each other anymore, but I do have email contact with her. When I asked if she were coming back for the funeral she told me that she has had a back injury and was not able to travel, but that a son and his wife and a daughter would be at the funeral. It took some micromanaging but I did it and saw them after the funeral. They were very gracious and even took a picture of me with them to show their mother! This made me late for a previous luncheon appointment, but it was a very pleasant experience.
When I look at today’s date, it reminds me how close Christmas really is. So if I can find the 1992 magazine that I have been saving for Christmas recipes, I will get this to the editor in time to make the paper.
CHOCOLATE PECAN TREATS
1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (can substitute milk chocolate if you prefer)
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
½ cup flaked coconut
½ cup finely chopped pecans
¼ cup sweetened condensed milk
16 vanilla wafers
Over hot water, not boiling, combine chocolate
morsels and shortening. Stir until melted and
smooth. Remove from heat. Let stand over hot water
for 20 minutes. In a small bowl, combine coconut, pecans
sweetened milk. Stir until well blended. Spoon one rounded
measuring spoonful of coconut mixture on each vanilla wafer.
Place on wire rack over waxed paper lined cookie sheet. Pour
scant tablespoonful of melted chocolate over each cookie.
Chill until chocolate is set.
PECAN PUMPKIN PIE
Pumpkin layer: 1 egg
1 cup solid pack pumpkin
1/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 unbaked 9 inch pie shell
Pecan layer: 2 eggs
2/3 cup light corn syrup
½ cup white sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
½ teaspoon vanilla
Beat egg, pumpkin, sugar and. spice. Spread over bottom of pie shell.
In same bowl beat eggs, stir in syrup, sugar butter and vanilla. Stir in nuts.
Spoon over pumpkin mixture. Bake in 350 degree oven for 50 minutes.
May you all find peace, joy and many Magic Moments. in your lives this Christmas season.
11/29/11
With Thanksgiving Day barely in the past it is hard to believe that the Christmas season has begun with today being the first Sunday of Advent. The church was beautifully decorated this morning for the Advent season, which was a sharp reminder that Christmas is just around the corner. Don’t let the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping, decorating our homes and preparing our usual Christmas treats overshadow the literal meaning of Advent which means “to come”. Let a spiritual preparation for the real meaning of Christmas be an important part of your Christmas planning.
I had a bad start to advent this morning when I became ill before Mass began. I was too uncomfortable to try to stay for the whole service, so when the entrance hymn was announced and the congregation stood, I used the circumstances to slip out as unnoticed as possible. I diagnosed my malady as a low sugar complication which has occurred only once before, but is quite distracting. I made it home safely, ate some candy corn and two slices of toast and peanut butter which restored me to a normal status. I had eaten some breakfast, but was informed that if my sugar count were low to begin with, it was not enough sustain me until lunch time. Will try to make up my worship time this week.
My mind was really off track and I forgot to go to my daughter’s for their family Thanksgiving celebration! I did not miss out completely because after their guests went home, she and her husband stopped in to see me and brought a sample of the dessert. She also brought the recipe with her, so you can benefit from my good fortune. I ate half of it and am now certain that my sugar count is not too low.
I haven’t been eating out much lately, but it seems that my dessert was a sample of some of the mini desserts offered in restaurants called “shooter desserts” The recipe is quite general with the amounts being dictated by the size of the glass that you choose.
CARAMEL APPLE PIE SHOOTER
Crushed Nutter Butters
Finely chopped red and green apples
Caramel topping
White chocolate pudding
Additional apples, caramel topping and crushed cookies
Chill until serving. Garnish with whipped topping, caramel
topping and apples slices. You could be creative and try other ingredients.
Since this was a simple creation, I guess I will go back to my Four Ingredient Cook Books and not make this week’s cooking too complicated. Maybe we should try something that is not a dessert.
HAWAIIAN BAKED PORK CHOPS
4 pork chops , ½ inch thick
2 cups crushed pineapple
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Place pineapple in a greased baking dish. Place sliced
sweet potatoes over pineapple and sprinkle with brown
sugar. Place pork chops on top of sweet potatoes. Bake
covered at 350 degrees for 1 hour, uncovered at 450
degrees for ten minutes.
Wishing all of you a very special Christmas season .
I had a bad start to advent this morning when I became ill before Mass began. I was too uncomfortable to try to stay for the whole service, so when the entrance hymn was announced and the congregation stood, I used the circumstances to slip out as unnoticed as possible. I diagnosed my malady as a low sugar complication which has occurred only once before, but is quite distracting. I made it home safely, ate some candy corn and two slices of toast and peanut butter which restored me to a normal status. I had eaten some breakfast, but was informed that if my sugar count were low to begin with, it was not enough sustain me until lunch time. Will try to make up my worship time this week.
My mind was really off track and I forgot to go to my daughter’s for their family Thanksgiving celebration! I did not miss out completely because after their guests went home, she and her husband stopped in to see me and brought a sample of the dessert. She also brought the recipe with her, so you can benefit from my good fortune. I ate half of it and am now certain that my sugar count is not too low.
I haven’t been eating out much lately, but it seems that my dessert was a sample of some of the mini desserts offered in restaurants called “shooter desserts” The recipe is quite general with the amounts being dictated by the size of the glass that you choose.
CARAMEL APPLE PIE SHOOTER
Crushed Nutter Butters
Finely chopped red and green apples
Caramel topping
White chocolate pudding
Additional apples, caramel topping and crushed cookies
Chill until serving. Garnish with whipped topping, caramel
topping and apples slices. You could be creative and try other ingredients.
Since this was a simple creation, I guess I will go back to my Four Ingredient Cook Books and not make this week’s cooking too complicated. Maybe we should try something that is not a dessert.
HAWAIIAN BAKED PORK CHOPS
4 pork chops , ½ inch thick
2 cups crushed pineapple
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Place pineapple in a greased baking dish. Place sliced
sweet potatoes over pineapple and sprinkle with brown
sugar. Place pork chops on top of sweet potatoes. Bake
covered at 350 degrees for 1 hour, uncovered at 450
degrees for ten minutes.
Wishing all of you a very special Christmas season .
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