Magic Moments 3/20/14

My how fast the weeks go by!  Much faster than when I was a kid waiting for summer vacation and Christmas to come each year.  That should be some indication that I do not yet know what I am going to say to you this week. Let’s start by offering congratulations to the cast, directors and people back stage for the pleasant evening at the dinner theater presentation by our high school students.  Even though my age shows when I have to admit that many of the performers I did not know, I do appreciate the talent and the willingness to share that talent of our young people. For them to do this we also have to have the patience, willingness and unselfishness of directors, parents, stage hands, costume managers and all behind the scenes personnel.   A big “Thank You” to all, and a “Good Job” to all of the cast.

Congratulations to all members of the confirmation class at St. Mary’s Church on Sunday afternoon.  May you all keep your commitment throughout your life with God and His commandments as the center of all that you do.

When all else fails, we can talk about the weather. I was so excited the day it was above fifty degrees and I just knew winter was over.  After last week’s snow storm and the freezing weather this morning when I went out to church, I changed my mind.  The only encouraging sight that I can see (no it was not a robin) is the patch of ugly brown grass that is not covered with snow between my home and my next door neighbor!  I tremendously dislike the dead looking earth, suffering from the aspects of winter until God performs His magic and the world comes alive with all of the beauty of Spring (which is my favorite time of year). I will be patient and appreciate it fully when it does get here.

As I had no recipes stashed away to use, I was searching my array of cookbooks and I found some very unusual ones that I would have never put together.  Since it is Lent and we must do penance, perhaps you might try them with this thought in mind, secretly hoping that next week I go back to desserts. They are both something different to do with vegetables and they may interest you enough to try them.  I use lemon pepper on a majority of my vegetables and I thought I had next to invented something new!  Wrong.  The book I found them in is dated 1990!

                        

ASPARAGUS and BABY CARROTS

1 pound asparagus, steamed until crisp tender

½ pound small carrots, steamed until crisp tender

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Lemon pepper

Drain asparagus and carrots. Cover and refrigerate. When ready to serve, sprinkle with lemon pepper and lemon juice.  Serve cold.  This is what I am going do with mine! While they are still hot, with the pepper and lemon juice I am going to add a large chunk of butter and eat it hot! Make your own decision.

The next one has possibilities, but I would have never on my own thought of combining them, but I do have all of them on hand. Tomorrow I will be brave and try it.  If I do not like it I am planning on taking my sister something that I know she wants. I may just change my plans and turn up at her back door with a smile on my face and a new vegetable in my hand. She wouldn’t dare say she didn’t like it, or would she?  Don’t bet any lunch money.

                                    

SAUTEED BROCCOLI

            

1 package (10 oz.)  frozen broccoli            

1 package (10 oz.)  frozen whole kernel corn

1 can (4 oz.) sliced mushrooms, drained

½ cup butter

             

Melt butter. Saute broccoli, corn and mushrooms in butter until crisp tender. Season to taste. I would use lemon pepper!  Serve warm.

            

Remember Spring is really just around the corner. I sincerely hope so. Especially after I saw my last month’s heating bill. A few more months like that  and I won’t have to worry about the nursing home getting my money.  There won’t be any!   

3/13/14

The best news I have heard lately is that Spring will be here in two weeks! Never in my life have I seen so much snow at one time and been so tired of it.  I do appreciate the beauty of a new snowfall, but a constant cover gets old very rapidly.  Now will someone please inform the weather man that spring is that near and cancel any snow showers he has planned for us? An unusual event in my life took me to the elementary school one day last week.  I still can’t believe there is as much snow piled there as I think I remember!  I thought there was a lot in my yard!

A real magic moment occurred the same week.  I drove my car across town to visit my sister. It was my first time driving since before Christmas.  I think it was a successful trip.  At least no one honked at me!  Since most off the week is supposed  to be above freezing and some of the snow should disappear, I plan to make a few more trips across town.

From baking a warm apple pie to serve to my daughter who brought a co-worker with her on one of my Tuesday lunch hour visits and sending a piece of apple pie back to the coworker who covers for her when she doesn’t manage to get back on the job in her allotted hour, I baked three pies for a workshop at her company with delegates from North Carolina and Nashville , Tennessee.  From this I managed to make a special new friend who has been introduced to Magic Moments!  You brightened my day and provided many magic moments for me, Anisha.

Maybe that is a sneaky way to bring our minds to food but it worked. I finally got to Bryan and picked up some whole wheat flour.  Would you believe that when I got home with it, I did not remember where I put the recipe?  Old age does have its problems.  Now I have them together and I am going to give you the recipe before my friend hides it from me again, even though I have not made any muffins.

                        

RAISIN OAT MUFFINS

¾ cup whole wheat flour

¾ cup all purpose flour

1 cup uncooked oatmeal, quick or old fashioned

2 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon finely grated orange rind

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

¾ cup orange juice

¾ cup golden raisins

            

TOPPING: ¼ cup uncooked oatmeal

                                 3 tablespoons brown sugar

                                 1 tablespoon grated orange rind

                                 1 tablespoon butter, melted

Combine flours, oats, baking powder, sugar and orange rind.

Combine egg, sour cream, oil and orange juice. Add all at once

to the dry ingredients. Mix only until blended. Gently add raisins.

Line muffin tins with paper liners and spoon batter in cups until

almost full. For topping, combine oats, brown sugar, orange rind

and butter. Mix well. Sprinkle over muffin batter and pat gently.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes in a 400 degree oven.  Makes 18 muffins.

Sometimes our eyes influence our food tastes more than we think.

I noticed this salad recipe in a magazine that I rarely read, but the

picture caught my eye and I saved it. Hope it tastes as good as the

picture looks.

                        

CARROT SALAD

I pound or 4 to5 cups coarsely shredded carrots

¾ cup raisins

2/3 cup dates, chopped

2/3 cup fresh pineapple, diced (I would use canned chunks, also)

¼ cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons sour cream

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest

2 tablespoons sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup pecan pieces

Lightly toss shredded carrots, raisins, dates and pineapple.

Whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lemons juice,

zest, sugar and salt. Pour over carrot mixture and toss to

blend well. Chill at least one hour. Right before serving stir

in pecan pieces. Makes 6 servings.

Thanks for all prayers offered for physical needs in my family. Had some remarkable results, but still have a few rough spots that need some work. Like one of my sons stated. Don’t leave out God because He is still in the miracle business.

Sweet Potato Pancakes and Onion Casserole 3/6/14

Special moments in our lives seem to be made of more magic when they appear out of the normal patterns of your life. Recently when I was having a rather dull day, (living with just me is not very exciting)  the front door bell rang. There stood a young lady with a package in her hand.  My thoughts were “Now what is she selling?” She quickly told me that I probably did not know her but she was one of my best fans who had been reading MAGIC MOMENTS for over ten years!! Further conversation revealed that she knew several of my kids and I knew her grandparents very well and am a speaking acquaintance of her mother.  In her package she was bringing me a sample of her version of my Ranger Cookie recipe!  She had made them for her father and had omitted the chocolate chips and the nuts because he did not like them in cookies.  They were successful enough that he told her to throw out the recipe for the ones she had been making for him. You never know how much you can brighten a day for someone else by a seemingly small kindness. 

Another bit of magic was found in a phone call asking if I were going to be home and could she stop by.  She brought me an almost new, beautiful sweater that she had bought and almost never worn, allowing me to gracefully refuse it if it were not to my liking. It is much nicer than any I have seen in my few shopping trips lately. I have better luck at garage sales!  If I were younger I would start a business where I made clothes that were becoming to OLDER ladies who wanted to look respectable! I told one clerk that the dresses they had I would not take home if they were free!  That reminds me, I have a grandson getting married and still do not have a satisfactory dress to wear. Don’t think my newly acquired sweater will do the trick.

Life is still beating my family up with a lot of questions, serious tests, and surgeries scheduled, so once again I will put them all in God’s hands and turn my thoughts to food.

Do you like sweet potatoes?  I usually just boil them super tender, mash them up and put lots of butter on them, so I was tempted by a new recipe I saw for pancakes. Maybe I am a bit weird in my food preferences.  I thought I heard a chorus of strong “Amens” but I just turned up the volume on the TV and it went away so I will proceed with my recipe.

      

SWEET POTATO PANCAKES

2 medium sweet potatoes

1 medium apple

2 eggs beaten

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons brown sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons flour

¼ cup vegetable oil

Peel and grate potatoes. Core and shred unpeeled apples. Drain any liquid. Combine eggs, salt, sugar, cinnamon and flour. Add to the potato and apple mixture. Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat. Place portions of ¼ cup of mixture into the hot oil. Flatten with spatula. Cook 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Serve immediately with syrup  of your choice and chopped pecans if desired.

Need a new idea for a vegetable side dish? How about an onion casserole? Sounds good to me.

     

VIDALIA ONION CASSEROLE

I stick butter

4 large Vidalia onions

24 snack crackers

½ cup grated cheese of your choice

Chopped parsley

Melt butter in skillet. Saute peeled, halved, sliced onions for about 10 minutes. Layer half of the onions into a 3 quart casserole dish. Cover with half of the crushed crackers and half of the cheese. Repeat layers. Sprinkle with parsley. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Hope you enjoyed the weekend snow more than I did.