Since last week was very empty of exciting events to yell “Magic Moment” at me, I am looking very closely at my week and guess what? Two of them popped into mind. It is proof positive that we can find the most magic in the everyday things of our existence. I am certain that you know that one of my daughters who is employed in Bryan has established Tuesday as a visit Mom day! She drives 20 minutes on her lunch hour to get here, we spend 20 very precious moments together and then that gives her 20 minutes to get back to work on time. She has a very special fellow employee who is very gracious and does not take his lunch hour if I follow her to her car trying to crowd two more minutes of special time and conversation out of the visit.
Last week it looked very possible that she would be getting back a minute or two short. I fixed that in great style and fortified her with six oatmeal raisin cookies freshly baked that day to give him to take the edge off of the frustration of her tardiness. Where I found magic in her visit that day was my reaction to her message that she was on a very strict diet and I should not tempt her with any food unless it was fresh fruit. I had eaten my last fresh peach the evening before, so I told her it would have to be ice water, but if I put it in a fancy glass, we could pretend that it was champagne. When she arrived, I had her place setting with a lace placemat, a pink cloth napkin, an antique salad plate with pink flowers on it, completed with a crystal goblet holding her ice water. Her reaction made me enough magic for the whole day. What could be anymore ordinary that serving a glass of ice water to a guest?
At my house baking cookies is a very ordinary thing. Being quite organized (that is if I can keep that little old lady out of my well orchestrated plans), I always have at least one 5# bag in the pantry cupboard. She must have been in here and donated it to the Boy scouts as I had less than one cup of flour in my Tupperware container and none in the pantry. So since I was in the middle of a batch of cookies that meant an emergency trip to the store. I had a coupon for a five dollar discount if I spent enough, so I made a mental note of the things that I needed from that store. Stocking up on flour was a good place to start. Ordinarily I do not purchase that much at a time, so the clerk very graciously asked me if I wanted to take the cart to my car. My reply was that I have reached the age that walking and carrying anything takes all of my concentration. When I got near my car, the young gentleman who was directly behind me cheerfully asked me if I needed help. Since he was so kind, I told him since he was willing I was just going to let him put them in my car. I struck down the urge to ask him if he could follow me home and carry them in the house for me. It was a moment of magic that someone whom I had never met was concerned about me, besides that he took the cart back to the store. Let’s all be more aware of the bits of magic that are around us every day.
For recipes, I noticed an old cook book dated 1964 for all salads. I do not remember having it and it contains 2000 recipes for salads of every kind imaginable. It is on my list of things to go. Unless someone shows some interest, it will go to the Free Store on my next trip. If anyone is interested the price will be the same as at the Free Store. I noticed one for fresh blueberries that I think I might try. Blueberries are on my list of things that I will eat, but do not get excited about. I probably should because I think they are good for short term memory and mine is about as short as it can be without completely disappearing.
FRESH BLUEBERRY SALAD
2 packages (3oz.) cherry gelatin
3 cups boiling water
1 can (8 oz.) crushed pineapple
¼ cup maraschino cherries, halved
2 cups fresh blueberries
Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Cool. Add pineapple and chill until thickened. Fold in cherries and blueberries.
DRESSING
1 cup miniature marshmallows
2 cups sour cream
1 teaspoon mayonnaise
½ teaspoon vanilla
Mix ingredients and let stand several hours or over night. Mix well and serve on blueberry salad.
For those of you who want more than a salad, try this church cookbook recipe for filling hamburger casserole made from all very ordinary ingredients that most of us keep on hand.
DOWN TO EARTH HAMBURGER CASSEROLE
1 pound ground beef
3 raw potatoes, quartered or the size you prefer
1 can tomato soup, undiluted
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 cup diced celery
1 can cream of mushroom soup, diluted
1 cup milk
¼ pound butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Carrots may be added, if desired
Put a layer of ground beef in the bottom of pan. Then put a layer of potatoes and a can of tomato soup. Add the sliced onion and diced celery. Last mix the mushroom soup with the milk and pour over the top. Dot with butter and bake in a slow (325) oven for about 1 ½ hours.
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