Why does the weather man have to be so accurate when he predicts something so drastic? I was certain that the worst of this would go north or south of us! There must have been a bit of doubt because while I was out for a meal at the down town restaurant, I took advantage of the offer of going to church at 6:00 Saturday evening. When I opened one eye this morning at the time I would have been leaving home I glanced out the window and ascertained that by golly this time it happened just like was predicted. So far today has been quite monotonous. I made one phone call and had a return call from the same person. That is the total of my social activity. To liven up my day, I cooked some beef and noodles and made some instant potatoes for my lunch. I fortified the potatoes with a large chunk of butter and used hot milk instead of water. Not too bad!! I even watched a college basketball game. The one I picked “just because” ended up winning so maybe that was my magic for the day.
With my isolated activities I have had a hard time running into much magic so think I will go back to one of my Christmas parties, really to a month or so before that. At our regular monthly Homemakers Club meeting we had a guest speaker who was explaining their new program for pre-preschool kids-3 year olds!! After her presentation she asked if there were any questions about the program. I hate to let an opportunity go by without talking, so when no one else said anything I said I just wanted to make a statement. I grew up in a home where we had only necessities, good parents but almost no toys, played jacks on the dining room table with hickory nuts and no ball! We had to use our imagination to fill our play hours and free time from daily chores. We didn’t even have kindergarten and all of my brothers and sisters turned out quite well. She responded with the statement that I had my own answer—“good parents” who handled our situation well. All kids aren’t so lucky. I have a secret pal who was tremendous with her gifts to me during the year. When I received my Christmas gift there was a bag with 6 or so small bags inside. In one was a Slinky, in another a bag of marbles, and a game of “jacks” with Two balls! That is all that I recall that was in the bags. I thought it was a very magical moment and thought she was trying to even the score years ago when I had her name. I had purchased a flat wooden angel with golden wires for wings and halo, about 10 to 12 inches tall. Inscribed on the angel were the words “God loves you and I am trying!!” She recently built a new home and we were guests there. She pointed it out and said, “Yes, Max, there is my angel.” My daughter asked for the marbles and I intend to someday see if I can mentally resurrect at least part of the game of jacks, now that I have two balls to bounce. I hope she didn’t get the marbles because she thought I had “lost mine”!!
I think that is a good place to return to food. I had two soups picked out because of the weather, but by the time the paper comes out, I hope at least part of this snow has left us, at least most of the coldest weather is just a memory. If not I will look up those recipes again. I am saving one for me to make anyway. One I am using today was supposed to be a meal for a bit over a dollar. You can tell it is an old cookbook because the seasonings would cost you more than that today.
UPSIDE DOWN MEAT PIE
1 pound ground beef
½ cup chopped celery
½ cup chopped onion
¼ cup chopped green pepper
1 can (10 ¾ oz.)condensed tomato soup
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1 ½ cups biscuit baking mix
1/3 cup water
3slices Velveeta Cheese, halved diagonally
Over medium heat, cook beef, celery, onion and green pepper until meat is no longer pink and the vegetables are tender. Drain fat. Stir in soup and mustard. Transfer to a greased 9 inch pie plate. Combine biscuit mix and water until soft dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 9 inch circle. Place over the meat mixture and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for five minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen biscuit dough. Invert onto a serving platter. Arrange cheese slices in a pinwheel pattern. Garnish with green pepper rings if desired.
ALMOND BARK NO BAKE COOKIES
1 package (24 oz.) almond bark
1 cup peanut butter
8 cups Captain Krunch cereal
1 cup salted peanuts
Melt almond bark according to package directions. (I like to melt it in oven at 200 degrees.) Add peanut butter and mix. Remove from heat and stir in cereal and peanuts. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper.
Our county is only at level 2 emergency now. Guess they didn’t need my opinion. See you next spring.
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