Monday, June 2, 2014

Much Magic 5/29/14

What a fantastic magic moment filled week! Not sure I can work them all in, but I will try to give them the credit due. That is almost as frustrating as the weeks I have to look under the rug to come up with an idea. So, I will start with the first one to appear on my horizon. I have a computer friend whom I have never met who lives in Oslo, Norway.  We have a strange connection. Her grandfather was engaged to my aunt when I was in grade school.  They were class mates and he came back from the East Coast for class reunions.  Siri Anne came with her grandfather to one. During my aunt’s illness, life in a nursing home for some time, they lost contact.  My aunt had sent her one of my columns I had written about the death of one of my brothers. She used this to contact me through The Earth, and we have been email friends ever since. I send her my column and I got a response from her last week that made my day! My cabbage and noodle recipe which I had not presented in a favorable light  sounded good to her, because cabbage is cheap and has a wonderful taste.  She was impressed with the fact that I was using it as a “penance” process.  She does a remarkable job corresponding with me because English is not her “first” language. My niece in Pennsylvania also thought the recipe had favorable possibilities.  I was going to try it this weekend but cabbage was 79 cents a pound and I was afraid that I might not like it and it would end up in my disposal. Let’s wait until the gardens have an oversupply of it.

My weekend was so filled with magical moments that included the graduation party of my first great granddaughter. Doesn’t seem possible that we are going to have to send her out into this big world already. Seems as if it were only recently that we were welcoming her into our family! So congratulations to you, Hannah, and to the rest of your classmates for all of your accomplishments and prayers for a great future for each and every one of you.

Another great experience was attending the wedding of my granddaughter and her best friend, in a very soul touching ceremony in Decatur. I am very proud of you as a couple and part of our family, Brittany and Danny. May a prosperous life and good memories of a fantastic day fill the years ahead.

Sunday was filled with church liturgy in the morning, graduation services in the afternoon, followed by another graduation party. Good food and contact with a lot of people that I do not ordinarily see. A magic moment was when one lady whom I have not seen for years and I was slow in recognizing said, “Oh I knew you when I first came.  You have not changed a bit”!   Should I believe her?  I think I will.

After all of the food at graduation parties, it is difficult to come up with something to interest you. Something that I had almost forgotten about and tried last week for myself was one that is about the second one in my cook book. But since that is over twenty years ago, I am certain that a lot of you are not familiar with it. It is quite simple and used only ordinary things that you probably have in your kitchen. That is why I tried it.  You can vary the ingredients to suit your taste and your family’s preferences. Here is how I did it. My sister gave me the idea which came from her daughter-in-law.
                        
STUFF
! pound ground beef
3 potatoes, sliced, about 2 cups
3 large carrots, sliced
1 can cream of mushroom soup
½ to 1 soup  can of water
Velveeta cheese
I used a heavy Club Aluminum Dutch oven. Press ground beef in the bottom of the pan. Cover with a layer of potatoes, then a layer of carrots. Add water to soup, then cover vegetables.  Do not stir.  Place on burner with medium heat, cover and cook until vegetables are tender. Cover with slices of cheese. Heat until cheese melts.  The next time I make it I think I will add a bit of onion. I limit my salt intake so I think you  will want to add some according to your taste. Here is an idea that caught my attention in the extra “stuff” in the Sunday paper.  Has good possibilities, but I never purchase Grape Nuts, so will have to add it to my grocery list before I try it.
           
GRAPE-NUTS PUDDING
6 large eggs
¾ cup sugar
1 teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups whole milk
Grape-Nuts cereal
Butter a 2 quart baking dish. Slightly cover bottom of dish with Grape-Nuts. Whisk eggs, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla. Add milk. Pour over cereal. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes until mostly set but jiggly in middle. Serve with whipped cream.

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