Since my life is back to a more normal schedule for an octogenarian after my plane trip to Texas and our fabulous family experience last weekend at the Cherry Street Mission in Toledo, nothing leaps to the forefront for me to expound for this week. Sometimes we are blessed with ordinary things that we do not appreciate until someone else points them out to us. I was talking on the phone with a daughter and she had to call me back on her lunch hour. I told her I was leaving at one o’clock to take my sister to Bryan to have her hearing aid repaired. She remarked how nice it was that we looked after each other for things that we can do. Her comment was, “I certainly hope that when I am 87 I can take my younger sister to the hearing aid specialist”! See, I am blessed without appreciating it.
I was going to say I haven’t done anything really dumb to write about, then the thought came rushing by that this same daughter and phone call was for something that she needed that was in my bill fold. Would you believe I could not find my bill fold which is supposed to be in my purse with the needed document in its special place? This made my heart beat faster and my blood pressure rise, but I assured her I would have it when she called back. Now do you want to know the rest of the story? After nervously searching the logical places that I might have put it, I sat down to review the previous day when I knew I had it. My first mistake was that I took it out of my purse to carry it to the local grocery store to get a small needed item. They did not have what I wanted but suggested that the local Dollar store might have it. I was walking and it was a beautiful day, so why not just walk to the other store? Since I was walking by my home, I decided to drop off my mail and my bill fold, putting 3 dollars in my pocket for my small purchase. Little bells started ringing and I remembered leaving it in a certain room. Only where did I put it, probably that nosey little old lady had it again! Wouldn’t you know my guardian angel pointed out the perfect place to keep it out of sight so the robbers wouldn’t find it, and I casually informed my daughter that the lost had been found. Wouldn’t it make my life simpler if I kept it in my purse at all times? Necessity has improved my life in one area. I was always looking for my glasses and my husband said, “If you would leave the darned things on your face, you wouldn’t spend so much time looking for them”. Guess I am just a slow learner.
A little excitement was created last week at my Home Extension monthly meeting. We have several members who report each month on a number of topics. Our Health and Safety leader gave a detailed report on the importance of eating properly, especially eating enough fiber. We have secret pals and I received a rather heavy package for Valentine’s Day. Someone asked what I got because it was a rather heavy package. I opened it eagerly to find a bag of 2 ½ pounds of Hershey’s Kisses, to which I exclaimed, “Oh, boy. Fiber, fiber, fiber.” I am not sure my doctor will approve so I will no doubt ask for help in making them disappear.
Having grown up during the Great Depression recovery years, it is difficult for me to throw out any food. (That is unless it gets lost in my refrigerator and knits its own little green sweater!) On
Saturday I boiled a small head of cabbage that was beginning to look a little tired, fortified it with a generous dab of butter and really enjoyed it, reminiscing about eating it in my childhood days over just plain boiled potatoes. We had lots of meatless days and meals that were not prescribed penance. We just ate what was available. Today the remainder of the cabbage and juice was still here. My innovative mind started clicking and wondered what I could with it to keep from throwing it down the disposal. I added one onion, a package of frozen peas and carrots, two diced potatoes, thinking that wouldn’t taste so bad. It looked rather anemic so I opened a small can of Southgate Beef Stew and added it to my concoction. It was delicious and I baked two slices of Texas toast to enhance my soup. Making do with what you have was a valuable lesson that I learned from my parents.
Since we are economizing this week, I am going to my Four Ingredient cookbook for some ideas. Hope they appeal to you.
VEGETABLE SOUP CASSEROLE
1 pound lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
4 large potatoes, peeled and sliced
1 can (10 ½ oz.) Vegetable Beef soup
Brown beef and onions, drain. Place potatoes in a slightly
greased casserole dish. Spread beef and onions over potatoes.
Pour soup over the top. Cover and bake at 375 for 45 minutes.
Uncover and bake for 15 more minutes.
SWISS CHICKEN CASSEROLE
6 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
6 slices Swiss Cheese
1 can Cream of Chicken soup, undiluted
¼ cup milk
Place chicken in greased casserole. Top with cheese. Mix soup
with milk. Spoon over chicken and cover. Bake for one hour at 350.
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