Family Reunion 10/17/13

I received a spontaneous phone call from my daughter wondering if it would be acceptable to me to plan a chili, grilled cheese sandwich and apple dumpling family party at my home on Sunday. This is a carryover of the celebrations of my husband’s birthday and mine a couple of weeks later. I glanced around my living room noticing an accumulation of junk mail, (where does it all come from) newspapers, things I should discard, but just haven’t acclimated my inner peace feelings to make me really throw them out. My oldest sister always criticized me for my mental calculation of how long it would take me to do something that already should have been accomplished. 

Since I had several days to work with, I gave me daughter an affirmative answer since I had a weak social schedule for the week and could whip the place into company shape. The biggest handicap was that I forgot that the years are piling up and it takes me twice as long to do half as much and requires several appointments with my recliner!  I was making great progress and fairly proud of the results when another daughter called and wondered if it would help me if we moved the party to her home where they have a back yard very adaptable to an outside campfire where they would cook the chili and cheese sandwiches over an open fire. They also added a skillet of baked apples smothered in syrup and raisins.  So here I was left with a cleaner house than usual and no one came to see it, but I can spoil that in about 2 days.

It was a special day with my grandson home on leave from the military, all but two sons were able to attend, with the only drawback being the wind that we did not need which chilled us to the bone in spite of sweatshirts and parka hoods.  But it takes more than that to spoil the magic of a special family day.

The day before was my paternal family reunion at my nephew’s home. There was a small attendance. As I was trying to rationalize the fact that all of the attendants were my Dad’s descendants, (he was one of six siblings) I realized that there are only 10 of thirty two cousins left and we are all getting to be very senior citizens.  Distance and poor health affects some. So we operate on the premise that we just have a good time with the ones that can attend and do not spoil the day because everyone couldn’t make it.  

The highlight of the occasion was a pair of beautiful horses, and their owners, were our guests and they provided rides to anyone who wanted to go in a white buggy owned by my nephew. My sister and I who are on the high half of the eighties (I am ready to fall out) were sitting there when she said, “Max, let’s go for a ride!”  She is 95% confined to a wheel chair and I am not as nimble as I  used to be, but I answered “it’s O.K. with me!”  I don’t know who was the most surprised, us or our kids and nephews. The rest of the story was they assisted her into the buggy, with me following and we had a fantastic ride down the road and then back through the fields of the farm where we lived for years of our childhood.  Then there was the problem of our dismounting.  It was very easily solved by my nephew from Ft. Wayne who said, “Aunt Max, just put your arms around my neck and I will lift you out.”  What a simple solution. Since he managed me successfully, my sister who weighs a lot less was a simple procedure.  It was a great day to file into my memory book of magic moments and days.  Isn’t family one of God’s greatest blessings?

My family rates food pretty highly and both days we had plenty of it. So I had better come up with some recipes. I just opened another church cookbook and found two simple ones on the same page. Would it surprise you that both of them are dessert?  I think I needed two sugar pills when I came home today. Nothing but carrots and celery for tomorrow. The first one has my sister’s name on it. It is an old book but I do not remember her making it.  Maybe she does.

                 

DATE ROLL

1 cup white sugar

1 stick  butter

1 egg

½ half cup chopped nuts

30 dates

2 cups Rice Krispies

Powdered sugar

Mix sugar, butter, egg, nuts and dates together and cook for ten minutes. Cool and add Rice Krispies. Shape into a roll and coat with Powdered sugar. Slice into serving pieces. Rolls should be about 1 inch in diameter.

           

EASY DESSERT

1 carton (12 oz.) whipped topping

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup chopped pecans

1 can mandarin oranges, drained

1 can strawberry pie filling

1 large can pineapple tidbits, drained

Mix all ingredients together and chill before serving.

May each of you find magic in each day when you aren’t even looking for it!

Magic in the Mundane 10/10/13

I have been fighting procrastinating ideas to put this off until I wake up in the morning ever since I suddenly realized that this evening was the time to create another “magic moment”.  My commonsense prevailed, realizing that when that ugly sound of the alarm ringing started my day all of my good intentions (and ideas) would suddenly vanish as I would pull the covers over my head to drown out the irritating sound of the alarm.

I had a low key week, so I had to search the mundane things of my existence for some magic. Guess what? When we look for it in those kind of situations, we will find it abundantly. I have told you about my special friend at the nursing home in Butler. She is rapidly approaching the age of 102, has a very keen mind, and to note a high of degree of magic, she likes me! She had been a friend of my aunt for years, my daughter worked with her grandson at the Elementary School and visited her with her students. Another grandson works with a daughter at Ingersol Rand in Bryan but I never knew her until my aunt and sisters were residents there for several years.  I like to minister to her by taking cookies and other things she likes, but are not on the regular menus served to the residents. The magic I find in my visits is the amount of appreciation and expressed thanks for what I do that makes me feel like she is ministering to me. 

On Tuesday I was there and she was having a bad day. I gave her my goodies and told her I would not stay and use her energy to visit with me.  I could tell this was not what she wanted and as time passed she was breathing easier and looked more comfortable. She was so generous that she credited my visiting her that made her feel better!  Magic indeed.

On Saturday evening, after coming home fairly early in the afternoon from a birthday party for my great granddaughter and accomplishing absolutely nothing, I had a sudden burst of conscience and decided that I should use the ground beef that I had bought to make a recipe that I had given you the last week in September. While I was industriously browning the meat with the onions and green pepper (this was a gracious gift, along with some green beans, cherry tomatoes, etc. from a friend and business neighbor who realized that this was my first year without a garden since 1947) when my phone rang.  It was my son from Wauseon who had attended the Vietnam War Veteran’s Homecoming Celebration at Parkview Field in Ft. Wayne with his cousin. He was on his way home and would come by if I were going to be home but it would be a short visit. Part of the magic in this scenario was the fact that I was cooking some food instead of two slices of toast and peanut butter.  I padded the casserole with part of a loaf of the pumpkin bread recipe that I gave you recently.  I had promised it to his sister, but she did not pick it up when I offered it so I may have to bake another one. It was a short but surprise visit so created magic in my day.  The rest of the loaf of pumpkin bread disappeared when another son and his wife stopped in  or Sunday evening supper. They had brought the basics of a meal, but I found a few things to pad the menu creating  magical moments with an unexpected visit.

This will be a very short jump to get to recipes.  Since I had a week when I was not feeling the best and am still a bit on the lazy side I found some very simple to prepare, but should be tasty suggestions in a soup and salad recipe book.   The first one would be more in the class of a dessert to me, but it is labeled a salad, so who am I to argue with the author.  Just make it and enjoy it.

                        

PINK PARTY SALAD

1 can cherry pie filling

1 (N0. 2 ) can crushed pineapple, undrained

2 cups miniature marshmallows

1 can Eagle Brand Condensed Milk

1 carton (12 oz.) whipped topping

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and spread in a 9 x 13 baking dish.  Chill for several hours.

            

MICROWAVE CHEESY CAULIFLOWER SOUP

1 cup  ½ inch cauliflowerets   (4 oz.)

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup hot water

6 ounces Velveeta cheese, ½ inch cubes

1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules

¼ cup finely chopped green pepper

Dash of paprika, nutmeg and allspice

1/2 cup half and half

¼ cup dry white wine, optional

Place cauliflower and butter in a 2 quart casserole. Cover tightly and microwave on high about 2 minutes or until crisp tender. Stir in water, cheese, half and half, bouillon granules and  spices. Cover tightly and cook on medium  high for 3 minutes. Stir in wine . Cover tightly and cook 2 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle with paprika and green pepper.

Already I feel better that I do not have to set my alarm for an early morning rising.  More magic in the mundane things of my day.

October Magic 10/3/13

As I type in the first time the month of October, it brings to mind that it was always a favorite month to me.  It was the month of so many relative’s birthdays that it pushed to the back of my mind the coming months of snow and bad conditions.  I love the beauty of a fresh snowfall, but I want it just on the lawn, trees, and hills, not the roads, my sidewalk, nor driveway.  So I am hard to please!  I will just concentrate on the magic of the joy of my husband’s birthday l6 days before mine which made him think he was boss because he was the oldest. I have a son born on the first, several  grandchildren, several cousins, and my grandmother’s birthday was also in October. Also, my favorite brother and too many greats to keep track of. There were several wedding  anniversaries in the family, also. So it was a great time of anticipation and celebrations.

With the exception of Tuesday, when I had almost too many things scheduled so close together that I almost had to write down where I was supposed to be and when, but I met them all, it was a week almost as dry as the weather. Guess I will have to consider Tuesday as a little shower in my week. You might think that I got a lot done in my postponed housekeeping, but you are dead wrong.  It was just a week of  sitting in my recliner, working cross word puzzles and doing just what had to be done. Maybe I will run the sweeper this week and dust the next.

Today has been a quiet day, also.  I got caught a couple of Sundays with no food to offer my company, but it paid off in a supper at the local restaurant and a dinner at our church festival.  So today I decided that I would bake an angel food cake. (I like the Hospitality Brand at our local grocery store.)  I had some frozen strawberries I removed from the freezer, added strawberry glaze, and whipped topping. The only problem was that the only company I had was when my cake was just an idea. Now what does one little old lady do with a whole cake?   I was concerned for a while, but now I have had two pieces by myself and it is not time to go to bed. Who knows what will happen by then. One of the bright spots of the week was my connection with two special people in my life who gave me positive comments about my ramblings, so here I am trying for another week.

Guess this will be a good time to go to food. I was glancing at a cook book that I had open at my computer and noticed one for pumpkin bread, which will be compatible with my admiration of the fall month. It is from a church cookbook and those are always family favorites and are worth trying.

DELICIOUS PUMPKIN BREAD

5 eggs

1 ¼ cup vegetable oil

1 can (15 oz.) solid pack pumpkin

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

½ teaspoon salt

2 pkgs. (3 oz.) cook and serve vanilla pudding

l teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Beat the eggs. Add oil and pumpkin, beat until smooth. Combine remaining ingredients. Gradually beat into pumpkin mixture. Pour into 2 greased 8 x 4 x2 loaf pans. Bake at 325 for 75 minutes. May be baked in several smaller loaf pans and baked for 50 to 55 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

This recipe will be a good fall snack for your family. It was originated by a mother who mixed her kids favorite snack ingredients. So you can substitute any that your kids like better.

      

SWEET AND CRUNCHY SNACK

2 ½ cups Rice Chex

2 ½ cups Honey-Nut Cheerios

1 package (10 oz.) honey flavored bear shaped graham crackers

2 cups miniature pretzels

½ cup butter, melted

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

4 teaspoons cinnamon

Combine the cereals. Melt butter, add brown sugar and cinnamon. Pour over mixed cereals and stir to coat. Spread into two ungreased 15 x 10 baking pans. Bake at 275 degrees for 10 minutes. Stir and bake for 10 minutes longer. Store in an airtight container.

Since all of my orders for the form of snowfall have been back ordered, are there any offers from my readers to storm heaven’s gates and get better results than my ignored attempts?