NIXA JOURNAL: Happy Thanksgiving

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

“Autumn… the year’s last, loveliest smile.” William Cullen Bryant

Laughter is good for you, so you have to watch this. I laughed until I cried - really. My favorites were the dog bone and the discreet packaging. Click Here

And remember - "You cannot prevent the birds of sadness from passing over your head, but you can prevent their making a nest in your hair." Chinese Proverb

I'm finding my life is finally starting to settle down. Tomorrow and Sunday are supposed to be warm enough for more weeds and windows, but I feel this is my last chance to finish up, so it will be a busy two days. I just wanted to drop in to say hello, and tell you that I'm looking forward to doing some things worth sharing soon.

I've had a busy week, but today I've had a guilt-free day off, which was wonderful. No pressing chores. Too cold to work in the yard, and the house is almost clean - never completeIy clean when you have cats. I stayed in bed and read until 8:30, then spent the day cleaning up my emails, watching TV, and I finished reading Having Our Say; the First 100 years, by the Delaney Sisters. This is either the third or fourth time I've this book. I love these feisty women, and they're my inspiration for wanting to live to 105.

If you haven't read it, you should. It's not only inspirational; it's delightful reading.

I have a perpetual flip calendar (doesn't show the name of the day - just the date,) and last Saturday this was the message:

So I did good and took John a birthday cake. I was telling how disappointed I am with the markets in Nixa, and Katie asked if I'd been to the new HyVee. I had not. She told me where it's located - very near their home - so I went over to investigate and fell in love.

Perhaps I'll just give up cooking. You can order by phone and they'll bring it to your car. Just look at what's available at the store I visited - Click Here - or you can order it and eat it there and then do your shopping. The menu will change depending on the time of day. You might get breakfast and if you want lunch or dinner, you have to check later in the day. They also have tons of refrigerated prepared foods available, a bakery, a deli where you can buy all kinds of meats and cheeses for sandwiches, and a wall of bagged salads.

I plan to visit weekly, have lunch, buy some flowers (I bought a small bouquet for $4), three new products I've never tried (the store is huge), and anything else I need.

For this visit I had great Chinese food, and my new products were Lipton's green tea with orange teabags, and two bagged salads.

You know I'm all in if it says "French."

I just read "Caesar" and assumed it would be all Romaine.

I should have put my glasses on, because both had iceberg lettuce, which for me is a crapshoot (literally). I like it, but sometimes it doesn't like me. I also would probably have skipped the last one because of the dried sweet corn - broken tooth time? - but it was not hard at all and really good.

I really wanted some fantastic looking apple fritters, but I decided to be good and passed.

And after walking up and down all the aisles just to investigate, all that exercise made me feel good. Glad I followed my calendar.

Sunday I worked in the yard for three hours, which pretty much puts me on the couch for the remainder of the day.

Monday I took my yard waste to recycle, then started my Thanksgiving cards.

Tuesday I finished my cards, bought stamps and dropped them at the post office, did my grocery shopping by going to Aldi, Braums, Harter House, and Walmart.

Wednesday I cooked and did some lick-and-a-promise housekeeping.

And Thursday Mim and Fannie Mae came to lunch. I made a simple meal and an ugly table, but we had fun. We always have so much to talk about, and we hadn't found time to be together for awhile, so I thoroughly enjoyed the day.

I almost forgot the photos. Out of practice. And yes, I know the little pots I used for the cole slaw are for baked beans, and yes, I know you're not supposed to have candles until after dark, but it's my lunch, and I can do what I want.

Meatloaf, Cheesy Potato Casserole, Buttered Carrots, Steamed Green Beans, Cole Slaw, and Grapenuts Bread. Cherry Chocolate Cake and Cherries-pecans-and-cream Ice Cream for dessert (forgot photos.)

I might have posted these recipes before, but here they are - just in case.

MEATLOAF

1 lb. 85-87% lean ground beef

1 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1 egg
3/4 of an 8 oz can tomato sauce (just pour and save the balance)
20 Ritz-style crackers, crushed

Topping:
Balance of tomato sauce
1/3 cup ketchup
2 Tbs brown sugar

Heat oven to 350°.

For easy cleanup, line a baking pan with 1-2” sides and line with heavy aluminum foil. Oil the foil. Or line a baking pan with foil, and then oil a rack to put over it.

In large mixing bowl, add all ingredients except topping, and mix well with your hands.

Shape into 4-6 mini-loaves.

Bake 40-45 minutes, depending on size of loaves.

Remove from oven and drain off grease unless you’re using a rack.

Mix topping and spoon over loaves.

Bake an additional 10-15 minutes.

CHEESY POTATOES CASSEROLE
From: Simply Potatoes

1 pkg shredded hash browns, fresh-not frozen (see note 2)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1-1/2 cups (6 oz) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 Tbs butter, cut into small pieces

Heat oven to 375°.

Spray an 11 X 7 or 8 X 8 glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Stir together potatoes, salt and pepper.

Spread half in bottom of pan and top with one cup of cheese.

Add remainder of potatoes and top with remaining cheese.

Mix chicken broth and cream and pour over.

Dot with butter pieces.

Bake, uncovered, 40-45 minutes.

Note: To double, use a 13 X 9 baking dish, double each ingredient, and increase baking time.

Note 2: Look for the Simply Potatoes hash browns in the deli case or by the eggs.

GRAPENUTS BREAD

1 cup sour milk (see note)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup Grapenuts cereal
1 egg
3/4 cup sugar
1-3/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Heat oven to 350°.

Grease and flour a loaf pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix with a spoon or whisk, the sour milk, baking soda, and Grapenuts. Let stand 10 minutes to 1 hour.

Add remaining ingredients and mix with whisk or spoon.

Pour into loaf pan and bake 45 minutes.

Wonderful with butter while it’s warm.

Note: To make sour milk, put 1 Tbs lemon juice or white vinegar in a measuring cup. Add milk to make one cup. Let stand 5 minutes.

CHERRY CHOCOLATE CAKE

1 can cherry pie filling
3 eggs, beaten
1 box devil’s food or chocolate fudge cake mix
1 tsp almond extract

Heat oven to 350°.

Grease and flour a 9 x 13 baking pan, or two 8” or 9” round cake pans.

Use a mixer and break down the cherry pie filling first; then beat in the
eggs and almond extract.

Thoroughly beat in the cake mix.

Pour into prepared pan(s) and bake according to times on the cake mix box.

When cool, frost with Pudding Frosting using chocolate pudding and a little maraschino cherry juice, or cover with Chocolate Ganache. I’ve made it with chocolate buttercream, using maraschino cherry juice in place of milk or cream.

Try yellow cake mix with blueberry pie filling – spice cake mix with apple pie or peach pie filling. Omit or change flavoring extract. Change frosting.

PUDDING FROSTING

1 small box instant pudding mix of your choice
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup milk
8 oz Cool Whip

Add powdered sugar to pudding mix in large mixing bowl.

Whisk in milk.

When pudding is set, fold in Cool Whip.

Refrigerate cake after frosting.

This will cover a 9” layer cake.

OR

1 cup whipping cream
3/4 cup cold 2% milk
1 small instant pudding mix of your choice
2 tsps powdered sugar

Mix all on high speed until stiff peaks form.

And now I can discard all of these:

Tablecloth

Six placemats