I really need a bucket of magic right now. Last evening while I was doing some neglected duties in the kitchen, similar to a day or two of dishes in the kitchen sink, I mentally composed a fantastic draft for this week’s paper. Right now all I remember is that I had a few ideas that I thought would work. I have procrastinated for an hour and still my mind is a blank. The foremost thought that lingers is that a few years ago someone, I think it was a sister-in-law, gave me a nice hardback book of empty pages with the message accompanying it “Max, write it down.” I enjoyed the humor of the time but now I realize how important that discarded advice was needed. She was so smart and I thought she was kidding.
Since we are at the start of a new year maybe we should mention resolutions for improving ourselves. This year I did not concentrate on any needed issues, but I did think about staying out of the grocery store until I use up all of the great bargains that I thought I needed. My freezer and pantry cupboard are bulging and sometimes I think I hear grumbling noises coming from each one about overcrowding. So since I have milk, eggs, bread and a host of other “stuff” I am going to revert to the days of my childhood and when my kids were all home. I will look over the situation and decided what in the world can I make from the stuff I already have on hand, not what do I want to eat.
I started last week and cooked a whole chicken that I had purchased from a grandson who owns a set of farm buildings and a small acreage. He had raised a few chickens that he had butchered and frozen. They do not come any better than home grown ones and I was saving it for something special. My first thought was why was I not special enough to use it for. Also it was quite large, not like the pigeons that we quite often get, and I could visualize the space that I could use in case I read about a sale that I really could not resist.
Back to my chicken. I also have a set of amber colored glass cookware that I seldom use which I was considering dropping off at the free store. There is a large Dutch oven and my mind clicked into gear thinking, “Aha, I bet my chicken will fit in that.” I covered it generously with Ken’s Honey Mustard Dressing, then sprinkled a large minced onion over the top. I cooked it breast down, adding about a cup of water. I could not locate the glass lid so I covered it with foil and put it in the oven at 350 degrees for about two hours. I uncovered it to let it brown a bit. Now one large chicken is a bit much for one little old lady. It was tender enough that I picked out the bones and ate perhaps more than the suggested amount for one person. The next day I made some chicken sandwiches from the diced meat. My final entrée was a delight of the remaining meat, broth, and potatoes cooked until you might consider them overdone, seasoned with my favorite lemon pepper. Lowry’s seasoning salt would be great or your favorite seasoning.
There were two blessings, I used what I already had purchased and it made my menu planning for the next few days non-existent allowing time for a few more games of solitaire and Free Cell on my computer! Sorry, Free Store, you will have to wait because I am now using the smaller glass sauce pans to cook in. Maybe you should watch to see what dumpster my kids put them in.
Today I took down most of my Christmas things, but I hate the job of packing them away. The last things to go will be my nativity sets. One I leave on display year round because it is a central part of our Christian faith. The house will look dull until I get acclimated to the normal appearance of things. One of these warm days I will take down the garland on my patio fence.
I spent an unusual time selecting recipes for today. I thought I should do something to synchronize my attraction to desserts, but I could not resist the urge to include one. In case you do not appreciate the ones I chose, just remember I could have used one I am afraid to send out without trying and the other one was for Pickled Ring Bologna!! Enjoy my dessert, both recipes are simple and easy to prepare.
BUSY DAY CASSEROLE
1 pound lean ground beef
1 onion, diced
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can mixed vegetables (I would prefer a small bag of frozen ones)
Tater tots
Salt and pepper as desired
Fry beef and onion over low heat, until nearly done. Drain off excess fat. Add soup and vegetables. Pour into a baking casserole. Top with Tater Tots. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
FAVORITE RASPBERRY DESSERT
1 package vanilla wafers
½ cup butter
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
1 carton (8 oz.) whipped topping
1 cup chopped nuts
1 package of frozen raspberries
(could use other fruit of your choice)
Roll wafers into crumbs and layer them in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Mix butter and powdered sugar and spread over wafer crumbs. Add nuts and berries to whipped topping and spread over top. Let stand for several hours.
Again may 2013 be a fantastic year with many blessings for each of you and your families.
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