Taking a tip from the Hodgepodge

 

It's Wednesday again, and that means it's time for the Hodgepodge -- the linkup where Joyce, at  From This Side of the Pond, asks the questions and bloggers provide the answers on their own blogs.     Here goes!

1. Do you have a word for the year (WOTY)? If so, and you'd like to share, please share. How do you decide on a word? If you don't have a word are you still on the hunt for one for 2024? 

I have chosen a word for the year, but haven't posted about it yet.  I want to try and sort out many of the nuances of the word and note how I plan to apply it throughout the year.  The word I've chosen is continue.  

Beautiful graphic by Abby at Little Birdie Blessings

 
As to how I decide on a word --  I consider prayerfully whether or not God wants me to choose a word for the year.  Sometimes He doesn't show me one, but other times He either impresses a word on my heart or just drops one into my thinking. 

2. January 23rd is National Pie Day...will you celebrate? Do you like pie? What's your favorite? 

I do like pie, but I'm currently in the middle of a 40-day sugar fast so am not likely to be celebrating.  My favorite pie?  Oh, that's a tough one.  I make an Apple Crumb Pie that is scrumptious, and a Reese's Pie (peanut butter, chocolate pudding, chocolate whipped cream)  and a Red, White and Blueberry Pie that we really like.  Any of those might be my favorite.  This post has all three of those recipes in it.

3. Tipping. What are your thoughts, expectations, as to who, when where? Do you appreciate a store/restaurant giving a 'suggested amount'? Have you ever left an extravagant tip? 

20% is the most we will ordinarily tip (but at times we are more generous if the service was exceptional) and generally I think most service we receive is worth tipping 20% for. I don't think we have ever had service so bad it deserved no tip, but we have been known to leave a very small tip if the service is abysmal.  And a very generous tip at other times.  Never left an extravagant one, though.

I don't appreciate "suggested amounts" or the payment systems that have you tipping people who basically did nothing, in establishments where tipping is not usually a thing.

Check out this adorable ceramic travel mug I found at our local thrift store!

4. Share with us one household 'tip' that works for you. 

I'll do even better!  Here's a whole post on some kitchen tips.  I wrote it in 2021 at Christmas time, but these kitchen tips will come in handy any time of year. 

Evidently having the freezer on the bottom of the fridge is not a new idea.  Ad from a 1950s magazine!

5. Influencers on social media are people who've built a reputation for their knowledge and expertise on a particular subject. Do you follow any influencers online? Have you made a purchase or tried something new because of that 'influence'? If there's one you particularly enjoy tell us who they are and why you enjoy them. 

I may follow one or two influencers on Instagram, but I can't think of one I particularly enjoy or have made a purchase, tried something new, etc. based on their recommendation.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Tuesday, January 23 (when I'm writing this) is the New Hampshire presidential primary.  Really no idea how it's going to turn out.  Things I liked about the voting process: it was quick; our town has its own "I voted" stickers which feature a covered bridge and are more original than what we usually see; and the 8th grade bake sale outside.  Things that annoyed me: there's a table where you check in.  This used to be done by alphabet, but no more, which is fine, but confusing.  So, there are six people sitting at this table; they work in teams of two.  Theoretically one would go to the team where there's no line, in order to move things along efficiently.  Person after person went to that team, only to be told, "We're processing absentee ballots".  Okay, fine, good for you, but  how about something novel like a little sign that says "Please use first two lines only" or even "Absentee ballot processing in progress".  

And there's the Hodgepodge for this week!

One New Thing ....

 

 I alluded to this One New Thing in last week's Hodgepodge post.   When Market Basket  came to our town in 2020,  it was a good thing we'd been hoping for, for a long time.  Great prices.  I also knew, having shopped in other Market Basket locations, that they offered reduced prices on ground beef.  They freeze it when it gets close to the expiration date and one buys it frozen.

What I didn't know is that they also offer reduced prices on bakery items, deli meat ends, and even produce!   Only recently have I found the areas where these items are located.

I've found some good buys on reduced price bread and rolls.  In the deli meat ends, I've found turkey and ham that can then be sliced to use in sandwiches or cubed to use in casseroles,  egg dishes, etc.

But the produce section is where I've found the very best deals, like a bag of 4 avocados for 99¢, a bag of vine ripened tomatoes for $1.  And my very best deal so far has been a bag of 6 or 7 Minneolas for $1.45! 

 To be honest, when I picked them up, I thought they were oranges.  I knew navel oranges were running 99¢ apiece, so this seemed like a really great deal.  Was it ever! 😊

These were the absolute best oranges I have ever tasted!   Easy to peel, no seeds, and so flavorful!   So I set out to learn a little more about Minneolas.  Here's what I found; info from Tricia Christensen.

"The Minneola tangelo is a specific hybrid citrus fruit that is made by crossing the Duncan or Bowen grapefruit and the “Darcy” variety of tangerine, also called a mandarin orange. The cross was developed by the United States Department of Agriculture, in Florida, and was first released for sale in 1931. The fruit combines the sweetness of the mandarin with the tart flavors of the grapefruit, and it is highly prized for its juiciness and combination of sweet/sour flavors."

I found the information from Tricia Christensen here:  What is a Minneola Tangelo?

 And here's more:  "As tangelos go, the Minneola tends to be pretty large and is usually bell or pear-shaped. Diameter of the fruit averages about 3 inches (7.62 cm), though some can grow a bit larger. The peel is somewhat thin, but like most tangelos and mandarin oranges, it is pretty easy to peel. Many people like the fact that the fruit doesn’t have very many seeds, usually about ten on average, so they’re easy to avoid.". 

The ones I sampled had no seeds at all!

So there is my most recent one new thing!  Have you ever tasted a Minneola?  Does your supermarket offer reduced produce?

One new thing ...

 

 I was hoping to have something new to share, but all that is coming to mind is a very creepy find in a bunch of red grapes purchased from our local supermarket a few weeks ago.  (For those in New England, it was not Hannaford.  Their produce tends to be pretty reliable.)  Although this is not a fun new thing, still it occurs to me that it might serve as a warning to other consumers. 

The grapes were imported from Peru.  I always wash any produce pretty carefully, and while doing so I came upon some sticky web-like material.  Of course I immediately thought of spiders, but my next thought was of some type of cocoon.  So I was investigating carefully as I sprayed veggie wash and ran water throughout the grapes.

What I found was quite surprising.  It looked somewhat like the photo below, but was a much brighter yellow.  It looks huge here in this photo, but was about the size of a dime.  Whatever it was,  I knew I didn't want to keep it around.  After showing it to my hubby, who was as shocked as I was, I took a fork and gently detached it from the grapes, then plopped it into my container of frozen trash*.  (More on that later.)  This seemed to me the safest course of action.  Tossing it into the trash can, or into the fire (my hubby's suggestion) seemed to increase the possibility that whatever was inside would hatch. 

Maybe you know what it is.  I didn't, but as I was describing the object to my daughter, she was looking it up on her phone and found that it's a brown widow spider's egg sac.  She even read me an account of a woman in Britain who found one (complete with spider) in "a punnet of grapes."

Ever since, I've been wondering just how many spider eggs might have been in there.  Research indicates anywhere from 100 to 250.  Yikes!

So just a friendly reminder.  Wash those grapes thoroughly.

* Oh, and about that frozen trash.  This probably won't be a new thing for anyone, but I keep a covered plastic container in the freezer that's atop our fridge.  Anything that might smell bad if tossed in the regular trash goes in that container until trash day.  As someone who has been annoyed for years by trash can odors from meat or chicken scraps or spoiled vegetables, this trick has been a real life-saver.

A few tips to make things easier in the Christmas kitchen

 

 Today I thought I'd just share a few tips that might make life a little easier at this busy time.  

1.  Waxed paper is absolutely a must in my kitchen any time of year, but even more so at Christmas.  I use it for lining and separating layers of cookies in tins and also spread it beneath cooling racks when I am glazing or frosting cookies, to catch any drips.  I also use it to roll out pie crusts.  We actually ran out of waxed paper this week!  Thankfully, we were able to use parchment paper instead, but you can bet that waxed paper -- 2 rolls of it -- is  on my shopping list as we speak.  

2.  I find myself using lots of eggs at Christmas -- either for festive breakfast egg bakes or for a quick frittata or omelet for supper.  If you need to beat a large number of eggs with milk or cream and spices for a purpose like this, the absolute quickest and most mess-free method is to use the blender to do so.  Just put the eggs, liquid, and any spices called for into a blender and buzz it all for a minute or so, then proceed with your recipe. Cleanup is easy too -- just add some warm water and a squirt of dish soap to the blender, cover,  and buzz again for a few seconds.  You'll still want to wash the blender, but the hard part is done.

3.  If melting chocolate in the microwave, as some of the grandkids were doing during our candy making spree, the best tool for stirring is a chopstick (choose one without metallic lettering).  That way, you can leave it in the chocolate in between stirrings and there are no worries about placing a spoon or spatula somewhere on a counter where it is very likely to pick up moisture and cause your chocolate to seize up.  (Ask me how I know.)

4.  If you're baking cookies and run out of counter space for your cooling racks, do what we do and lay down sheets of newspaper on your dining table.  Then you can place the racks atop the newspapers and will end up with no crumbs, grease, drips or anything else on your table.  This is routine for us at Christmas time, with the large amounts of cookies that Mr. T bakes.  When you're done you can just roll up or fold the newspaper sheets to throw away.  No muss, no fuss.  You can see the newspaper in the photo below.

 
5.  I always keep Better Than Bouillon on hand for when recipes call for chicken broth.  I try to keep homemade chicken broth in the freezer, usually a few quarts -- and I also keep the boxes of chicken broth in the pantry if need be.  But when a recipe calls for just a small amount of broth, or if you don't have any on hand for whatever reason, it sure is a help to have Better Than Bouillon on hand to use with water to create broth.  I share the screenshot below to show you what the jars look like if you're not familiar with this product.

 

Anything that saves me time in this busy season is a win.  Hope one of these ideas helps someone else.

Supper in a hurry

My season of life right now is quite a busy one.  Last fall, it seemed that we often found ourselves finishing up a work session at my childhood home just in time to come home and figure out supper.  This spring, we are apt to get involved in work sessions at our little cottage, as there is much to do there to make it truly livable and comfortable. So we will be facing the same situation again.  I was talking with my friend Jennifer the other day about how challenging this is and how important it is to have in mind in advance what supper will be.

Many days, of course, I'll put something in the slow cooker ahead of time, and that works perfectly.  But there are many other days when a last-minute meal is in order.  It occurred to me that others might like some ideas for this sort of meal.  After all, the working person gets home just as tired and often has the same problem of figuring out a meal.  So does a stay-at-home mom with a fussy baby or a busy homeschooling schedule.  So I'll just share a few ideas I've relied on over the years, and a couple of newer ones.  Most of these meals use regular items you can just pull out of your pantry.

If you have an hour and a half-- this will be mostly unattended cooking -- make Chili-Topped Baked Potatoes.  Bake potatoes in the oven as you usually would.  Then, maybe 15 minutes before serving,  heat up canned vegetarian style chili to serve over them.  Serve with any kind of toppings that would be good on tacos -- shredded cheese, salsa, sour cream, shredded lettuce, chives or green onions.  This makes a wonderful supper on a cold night.  You could serve it with maybe a salad or baby carrots.

If you have an hour and fifteen minutes -- again, this will be mostly unattended baking -- make 

POLENTA BAKE

1 package of chicken sausage (fully cooked type such as Al Fresco) -- in the sweet apple flavor
1 large sweet onion
1 large apple (Honeycrisp is the best!) or 2 smaller apples
1 tube garlic and herb polenta
Olive oil
Salt & pepper (optional)

Have a 9 x 13-inch baking dish ready and just add the ingredients as you prepare them.  Slice up the chicken sausages.  I slice each one lengthwise and then cut them into about 1/4-inch slices crosswise.  Peel the onion, cut it in half and cut each half into wedges.  (Or cut them smaller if your onion is really huge.)  Wash, core and slice the apples into wedges.  Don't bother to peel them.  Then slice your polenta.  I cut it in quarters lengthwise and then slice it between 1/4-inch and 1/2-inch thick.  Now drizzle some olive oil (at least a tablespoon, but it's up to you) over the ingredients in the baking dish.  Salt and pepper to taste if you like, but it's really optional.  I forgot it last time and the dish was still wonderful.  Stir everything together well.

Bake at 375º for 1 hour.

I think you could make endless variations on this dish by using other flavors of sausage and including different vegetables like peppers, zucchini, etc. rather than apples.

This is the sausage that I use

If you have 45 to 60 minutes, you could make Corn Chowder or Clam Chowder.  Here is how I make corn chowder:

CORN CHOWDER

Use a heavy kettle or Dutch oven that will hold enough soup to feed your family. Chop 1 or 2 onions and, if you like (though these aren’t “traditional” ingredients) you can also chop a couple of celery ribs and shred a couple of carrots. Saute´these in your heavy kettle in some butter or olive oil. You won’t need much -- maybe a couple of tablespoons. Cook and stir until the vegetables are tender. Now, peel and dice as many potatoes as you need to feed your family. I would probably use at least four medium potatoes. Now add hot water to nearly cover the potatoes. Add a few shakes of salt. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Add 1 (15 oz.) can of whole kernel corn, undrained, 1 (15 oz.) can of cream style corn, and 1 can (13 oz.) evaporated milk. If you have a large family or a large kettle, you can add one more can of each. Heat through and add salt & pepper to taste. If you enjoy the flavor of herbs, a sprinkle of thyme and/or marjoram go nicely with corn chowder. Sprinkle with paprika before serving.

This would be great with whole wheat or multigrain bread. If you are feeding even heartier appetites, you could serve the chowder with grilled cheese sandwiches or tuna melts.

And here is my easy recipe for 

SIMPLE CLAM CHOWDER

2 Tblsp. butter
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 8-ounce bottle clam juice
4 potatoes, peeled and diced (I like Yukon Gold)
2 cans chopped or minced clams, not drained
1 large can evaporated milk
Salt, pepper, Old Bay seasoning and paprika to taste

In a large soup pot, melt the butter. Add celery and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are almost tender.  Add the clam juice; refill the bottle with water a couple of times and add the water to the pot as well.  Add the potatoes; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer about 15 minutes, until potatoes are tender.  Stir in the clams and evaporated milk; heat through.  Add seasonings to taste.

There would be time while this simmers to make biscuits to accompany the chowder, if you like.  My favorite recipe for  biscuits is Iron Skillet Biscuits from Marilyn at Mountain Top Spice.

If you only have a half hour or so, you can make an easy dish we really like: Tuna Mac'n'Cheese.  Just make up 2 packages of boxed macaroni and cheese according to the package directions.  We buy the Annie's organic type so we don't feel quite so guilty about it.  The variety pictured below is the one I most often use.  Then just drain and flake a can of solid white tuna, mix it into the macaroni and cheese, and heat through.  That's it.  It would be good with a bagged salad, or coleslaw, or cooked frozen green beans or canned beets, heated, or even grape or cherry tomatoes.  Something to make the plate a little more colorful.

Also in the half-hour category:  Pancakes, waffles, scrambled eggs or omelets would all make great quick meals if your family will eat breakfast for dinner.  Mine would always happily do that.  A fruit salad would be nice and you can make one quickly if you keep frozen and canned fruit on hand.

If you only have 15 or 20 minutes, you could make up some quick wrap sandwiches with any kind of wraps or with flour tortillas.  Spread these with mayo or mustard, layer in some sliced cheese, deli meat, lettuce, pickles, sliced tomatoes -- whatever you have.  If you have deli coleslaw, pasta salad or potato salad on hand, that is great.  If not, serve with any type of chips or raw vegetables -- or heat up a can of tomato soup.

Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup is a classic quick supper that most people enjoy.  My hubby and I also like fried egg sandwiches. We just fry the eggs and add a half slice of cheese on top of each.  Sometimes I will saute chopped green peppers and chopped onions (from bags of the frozen veggies) before adding the eggs.  Then we just make toast, sandwich the eggs in between and add ketchup or mustard.  All we need is a side of chips, salad, roasted veggies, baked beans, home fries or whatever we might have.

I hope that these simple ideas are helpful to someone as we come into the busy season of spring cleaning, gardening, house projects and more!

December 10 -- Tips for mailing Christmas packages

(Astute readers will recognize this as a repost from my Christmas blog last year.  I share it again this year without apology, hoping it will be truly helpful to someone.)

  I'm not by any means an expert on this, but I have learned a few things over a dozen years of mailing packages to loved ones in a distant time zone.  When I mentioned doing click and print labels and scheduling carrier pickups of priority mail packages here on my blog last year,  one of my readers told me she had learned something new.  She had been standing in long lines!  That made me aware that there are probably other readers who might benefit from my package-mailing tips.

1.  One of the biggest, and the postal service always tells you this, is mail early.  I will never forget the year we spent over $60 to mail a package to Nevada because a) the box was huge; and b) the hour was late.  And yes, I may be posting this a little late for you to mail really early, but do it as soon as you can!

2.  Flat rate priority mail boxes are the very best deal for mailing to distant states because they will ship for one flat rate regardless of how much they weigh.   The boxes come in small, medium (two different shapes of box), and large.  The rates, of course, vary with the size of the box.  I generally find that I can fit quite a bit into one of the medium boxes of either shape.

Photo from USPS.com

3.  Of course, if you are mailing local and your items are relatively light, flat rate will not be a good deal for you.  You will want to have your packages weighed so you don't pay more postage than necessary.  When packing gifts, do pay attention to the size of the box.  A huge box is going to cost more to send than two smaller boxes (which might hold the same amount), as a general rule.

4.  Click'n'Ship means you can pay for and print postage right online.  This is very easy indeed if you are using the flat rate boxes.  Below you see a printed-out label affixed to a box.

Photo from USPS.com

5.  If you have printed your label and affixed it to your box, you can schedule a carrier pickup.  This is great and I have used this service countless times.  If you schedule the pickup to take place during your regular mail delivery, there is no charge for this service.  There are a number of options as to where you will leave the package for pickup -- at or in the mailbox, at the front door, on the porch, and so on. You can schedule a pickup the night before for the next day.  No muss, no fuss -- and most importantly, no standing in line!

6.  If your gifts for your faraway loved ones tend to include books, you can send those via media mail  for a pittance.  You will have to go to a post office for this option, but it is really helpful, as books are heavy.  You will definitely want to mail early if you go this route.  It's been my experience that media mail gets there almost as quickly as parcel post, but it doesn't always work out that way, so plan ahead if you choose to do this.

7.  Finally, if you find that you do need to do your mailing of packages at a post office, consider using a different post office to do so.  My local post office is downtown, less than 5 minutes away, but there are parking issues and nearly always a lengthy line at this time of year.  Rather than waste time and energy, I use the post office in the next town.  It's only 10 minutes away, parking is ample and easy, and I have never waited in a line there regardless of the time of year.

Just a few simple tips.  I am sure there is much more that could be said on this subject, but I trust that these hints are helpful to someone!

Time to fire up those slow cookers!

Yes, and not just because it's winter!  I rely on my slow cooker so much during any busy season, but I find it invaluable in the weeks leading up to Christmas.  I can put supper in the cooker on any busy day, even if I plan to be home all day.  I can then spend my day crafting, cleaning, decorating, or whatever happens to be on my agenda, while supper cooks all by itself.

If sides are needed, I might -- depending upon what the main course is -- bake a loaf of bread in the bread machine,  use a bagged salad mix, scrub and pierce a few potatoes or sweet potatoes and bake them,  or quickly cook a bag of frozen vegetables in the microwave.

Yesterday we had company for Sunday lunch and I left this favorite in the slow cooker: Rosemary Chicken with White Beans. The recipe, and the photo above, are from Taste of Home, a valuable resource for all cooks.

  I change this recipe up slightly in that I use less rosemary than called for, less Italian dressing (I used about 1/3 cup of homemade Italian dressing), and I use more carrots and celery than called for -- probably at least twice as much.  I don't usually brown the chicken, but I did this time since it was for company and I wanted it to look as appetizing as possible.

We found that all we needed for a side was the cornbread I had baked early that morning.  Speaking of cornbread,  when I serve it for Sunday lunch, I have recently taken to sifting together all the dry ingredients the night before and transferring to a quart size zip top bag.  Then in the morning, all I need to do is grease a square pan or a muffin tin, whisk together the wet ingredients in a bowl, whisk in the combined dry ingredients, and transfer to the prepared pan or tin, then bake.  It makes the process so quick and easy.

If you need inspiration for slow cooker recipes, please do click the "Slow cooker recipes" link in the label cloud at right.  You will find pages of good ideas!

I hope that you seriously will get out your slow cooker and put it to work for you in this busy, festive season.  It really will make life easier!

Secrets of the slightly organized

Make that "only slightly organized".  I'm a busy person and if I didn't make some attempt at being organized, nothing would get done.  For awhile I've been meaning to put together a post with links to some of my older posts about planning and organization, with the idea that it might be a help to homeschooling moms and other busy people.  But time constraints have prevented me.

A good place to start might be with considering the why of planning and goal setting.  This post, More thoughts on goal setting, from January 2015, will help you consider your overall purposes in life -- the why behind what you do.   If I am to bring glory to God with my life, then I need to use every moment to maximum effectiveness -- a lofty goal that I fall far short of every day.

I shouldn't, but I tend to get a little bit annoyed when people ask me what I do all day.  This post -- Just Busy -- from 2015 gives an idea of just what I'm busy with.  The only thing that has really changed since then is that I no longer have the responsibility of caring for my dad.  We do help my husband's mom with things occasionally, but she is still somewhat independent.  Also, she has other children and that responsibility is shared among them all.  The eldercare, though, has been replaced with responsibilities for his estate, so I am still spending an hour or two a day working on that.  And any references to making gifts and such -- I have much less time for that than I used to, so don't do much (if any) crafting in a given day.

This 2013 post, Where did it go? resulted from taking a look at my week to see just where it had, in fact, gone.  If you ever find yourself wondering that about your own week, it can be very valuable to sit and ponder just where the time has gone.  Looking honestly at this has really helped me purpose to use my time wisely.  This quote from Elizabeth George in A Woman After God's Own Heart is in that post, but it's worth copying and pasting it here, too:

  "God’s mercies are new every morning and His faithfulness is great!  So every morning remember that your goal is simple: you want to have just one good day of living your priorities.  Then keep focused on following God’s plan for your life for just this one day.  For just one day, try putting first things first.”  By God's grace, I intend to do just that today and every day this week!

Lovely graphic by Abby at Little Birdie Blessings

Thinking about goals and accomplishing more of them, from 2012, tells what happened when I realized I wasn't accomplishing as much as I once did, and how I began to solve the problem.

A weekly calendar page, from 2008, tells how I designed the weekly calendar page that I use.  This is an invaluable part of my planning, as it shows me a picture of my entire week.

Every morning I then take a small note pad and jot down what the priorities for my day must be.  I suppose the list is usually ten items or less, but if I fit in more activities, that's fine too.  And then I like to make a time schedule for the day, just so I fit each priority in at the most effective time.  This really helps me to get things done in a timely way -- for example, to be sure I've allowed enough time for preparing a meal or getting ready to go somewhere.  It also helps me to schedule important tasks (like those  that require thinking clearly) for earlier in the day when I am fresher, and no-brainer tasks like folding laundry for the end of the day.  I tend to schedule my day in half-hour increments, but I don't stick rigidly to those times.  I just use the schedule as a guideline and stay pretty flexible.  Remember, if you aim at nothing, you'll hit it every time!

If you can't face the idea of a time schedule, certainly you could start by just making a small list for each day's priorities.  Just considering what the priorities for each day must be is a huge help.  Start by listing things you must do,  like scheduled appointments, commitments, or kids' activities, and preparing supper or doing laundry.  If you can also find time for other things, good for you!

Another practice that has been a huge help to me is planning menus for each week.   I plan my menus at the same time I make my grocery shopping list, and I plan most of the meals around what's on sale that week, plus what's on hand in freezer, fridge, or pantry.  Having a plan means less scrambling around at the last minute for getting a meal together, and it prevents takeout or drive-through meals so often (though these measures do occasionally have their place).  In thinking about menu planning, I think this topic is worthy of its own post, so I will try to do that later this week.

Hope these simple thoughts are helpful to someone.  I am by no means a time-management expert (quite the reverse, in fact), but if I made no attempt at managing my time, I would be accomplishing even less than I do.  And we do realize God wants us to use our time wisely, for His glory, so let's be inspired to do just that!

Making every day merry in little ways

As regular readers might have guessed, I just love December and the Christmas season.  This beautiful and oh-so-meaningful season passes so quickly.  One thing I like to do, to make the season last longer,  is to give every day during December a little bit of a festive feel.  This is especially helpful if, like me, you happen to be an empty-nester, or if you are single -- or even if you are a mom in a busy household.  If you don't make things festive for yourself, no one else is likely to.  So here are some of the things I do.

* Use festively flavored coffee as your everyday coffee during this month.  What we do is to buy Christmas coffee at the after-Christmas sales.  Places like Marshalls and TJ Maxx often have it for 75% off a day or two after Christmas.  (They often have regular coffee in Christmas packaging on clearance, too.  We snap it up.  Coffee is coffee!)

* Or use regular coffee and a festive flavored creamer.  Sometimes I use fat-free half & half along with just a splash of the flavored creamer.  Still gives the jolly flavor with less calories.

* If you enjoy tea, stock up on the holiday teas as you have opportunity and sip a mug daily.  Sometimes these are reduced after Christmas and sometimes not.  Some of my favorites are Christmas Tea by Twining's, Candy Cane Lane by Celestial Seasonings, and White Christmas by Stash.

a tea wallet I made as a gift

* If you frequently use lotion or cream on your hands, feet, etc., switch to a holiday scented one for the season.  My daughter found me some Candy Cane Lane lotion (with green tea actually in it) by Jason.  I have also used a sugar cookie scented cream and a cranberry one.  I use it on my feet, and when I take off my boots there is this lovely cheering scent.

* Some people use their Christmas dishes all through the month of December, and I think this is a great idea.  I've actually moved my Christmas dishes to a more easily accessible cabinet to facilitate this.  Setting the table with Christmasy colored placemats is a nice idea too, and do add a simple Christmasy centerpiece. (Mine at the moment is a red, white, and green striped bowl filled with cookie cutters.  And little tea lights in shiny tart molds -- in the Yankee Candle Gingerbread Maple scent.  You can't imagine how nice they smell!)

  At the very least, using Christmas mugs or teacups for your coffee or tea is fun.  These also may be acquired for very little money after Christmas.  The vintagey-looking ones below were 75¢ after Christmas at Walmart one year.

* Listen to Christmas music as you go about your daily work.

*  Do an Advent Bible study for your devotions.  I'm a bit late suggesting this, but it does help keep one focused on the true meaning of Christmas.  If you jumped into one now, it probably wouldn't be too late; you could double up on a day or two here and there.  Another thought is to do a Christmas Scripture writing challenge.  Or, refresh your memory on some verses from Luke 2 or Scripture passages where the Savior's birth is predicted or described.  I like to review Luke 2:1-20 every Christmas season.

* Take time to do some fun things like attend a Christmas concert, watch a Christmas DVD, bake some goodies or craft some simple ornaments.  Set up an Advent calendar or a Christmas countdown.   Yes, even if it's just for you!  A friend sent me an online Advent calendar with activities for every day.  So much fun!

* Decorate with fresh greens or festively scented candles for an energizing scent.

*  In fact, put something small and Christmasy in every room of your house, like this little soft blue tree on my bathroom counter one year.  (Both bathroom and counter look completely different now!)  Little touches like this will make you smile every time you see them.

There are a few ideas!  I'm sure you will think of more.  We have so much to celebrate -- the coming of our Savior to earth, to be born as a Baby in a humble stable, to grow up and die, then rise again, so we would have a way of salvation.  No, Jesus was almost certainly not born on December 25, but this is one time of year when the focus is on Him.  Let's go about each day with a merry heart, ready to share His love with others at this festive time!


(This is adapted from a post on my Christmas blog in 2014.)

Sometimes the simplest projects ...

... make a world of difference!  The above project may not look like much to you, and I admit it is pretty simple.  But it has sure made a difference in the way the top of my dresser looks.

My earring storage (for lack of a better word) has been bugging me for awhile now.  What I had was a nearly flat wooden container of sorts made from a piece of scrap wood and popsicle sticks, glued together by my then-7-year-old son many, many years ago.  He designed it with four compartments to hold earrings.  I have used it all these years even though he has told me numerous times to just throw it away.  I finally agree: sentiment can be carried too far. 

I kept my more seasonal earrings in a jewelry box and the ones I wear most often on this little wooden tray.  It's nearly impossible to keep it free of dust.  It was never designed to be a long-term earring organizer, but honestly, I am not one to shop for such an item.  This was working okay and I didn't have time to hunt for one.

One day, either on Pinterest or a blog, I forget which, I saw a nifty earring organizer made from plastic canvas in a picture frame.  I pinned it and forgot about it.  A couple of weeks ago I remembered it again,  and did find my pin.  I thought that I had both a picture frame and a piece of  plastic canvas on hand, but didn't have time to do anything about it right then. 

Yesterday I was dusting in the bedroom and just became really disgusted with that heap of dusty earrings.  I hunted up my picture frame, but couldn't find a whole piece of plastic canvas.  So, rather than give up on the whole project, I decided to improvise and just use the partial piece of canvas that I did have, without a frame, and see how that worked.

You can see that it worked admirably. 

When all of the earrings were in place, I needed a quick hanger.  I grabbed a piece of green satin ribbon that happened to be on my crafting desk, slipped it through a hole in the canvas, tied a knot and push-pinned it to the wall.  Easy!

And later that day when I walked into the bedroom, I could not believe the difference it made to have that earring clutter gone from the dresser.  Things looked so neat!  It honestly made a difference to the entire room. 

Yes, I admit I am easily amused.  Not to mention frugal.

Low-tech learning

Photo from Photos Public Domain

 Although I work at memorizing God's Word regularly, this year I got more serious about it.  I set a goal to memorize or review one Scripture verse (or short passage of Scripture) every week in 2015.  I put the numbers 1 through 52 on a page in my prayer journal and began listing down verses I wanted to learn or review.  I think I have chosen verses for about half the weeks in the year, and am always coming across more in my Bible reading that I want to learn.

Memorizing has come quite easily to me in the past, but this year I have been really struggling with it.  (Think that's because I set a goal to be faithful in this area?  Possibly!) Over the months of January and February, I learned only three short passages -- a total of six verses.  Not bad, but far from the goal I had set.

I had written the verses for each week out on index cards, but then I would forget to read them over.  Years ago a friend had shared with me that reading a passage aloud three times each day helped her learn it, and I had tried that method and found it to be helpful.  Yet it didn't help if I forgot to pick up the card, or turn to it in the Bible, and read it.  I began to wonder what other helps I might try.

Then we had a discussion in Sunday School about combining disciplines to make time for prayer.  One of the thoughts that came out in the discussion was the tried-and-true practice of writing out a Bible verse and then propping it above the kitchen sink where you will see it every time you're at the sink.  I used to do this, years ago, but had gotten away from it.  So I decided to try it again.

From Photos Public Domain

I wrote out the next passage on my list on a card and propped it on the kitchen windowsill.  Wow!  What a difference that simple practice has made.  I invariably glance at the verse anytime I'm at the sink.  When I'm washing dishes, I find myself repeating the verse.  I think its truths are actually sinking down into my soul and taking root, rather than just being learned by rote.

The passage I'm currently learning

Do you use this Bible memory method?  Or does something else work better for you?  If you've not tried this, or if it's been awhile, grab an index card and jot down a verse to learn.  I think you'll be surprised.  It certainly is working well for me!

A gathering of Thanksgiving tips and recipes!

Today, with Thanksgiving coming up so quickly, I thought I would share some more of my tips for Thanksgiving dinner.  It would have been more thoughtful of me to post them last week, but I guess it is better late than never.

It seems to me that Thanksgiving is really neglected as a holiday.  It can be very easy to just look at it as a prelude to a Black Friday shopping spree.  But I've been very encouraged in the blogosphere to see so many wonderful Thanksgiving ideas for food, decorating, kids' activities, table settings, etc.  You can find these on people's blogs and on Pinterest.  I have a special board on Pinterest just for Thanksgiving ideas, in fact. If you are interested, click on the red  "Follow Me on Pinterest" button in the sidebar and -- once you have arrived there -- scroll down to find my Thanksgiving board.

So here are some more Thanksgiving tips, recipes and other goodies.  I hope it's not too late for you to enjoy some of them.

In thinking of Thanksgiving dinner, probably one of the first steps after being sure of the number of guests is to make a menu list.  At our Thanksgivings, I am not responsible for all of the food.  People bring things to share, and we establish ahead of time who's bringing what.  Right now my menu for Thursday is scribbled on a scrap of paper.  But before the day I will write it neatly on a pretty piece of paper, under the heading Thanksgiving 2012.  When Thanksgiving is over, I will tuck this menu in the back of my Christmas notebook.  That way, when someone asks me about what to bring next Thanksgiving, I will be ready and can just pull it out and say definitively what we ate.

Now, on to the food!

For the turkey, I have tried a number of roasting methods. But the foolproof, best way I have found is to buy a turkey-sized oven bag and follow the chart and directions for roast turkey. Moist and wonderful every time. I roast it unstuffed.

For the stuffing, I buy a bag of Pepperidge Farm herb-seasoned stuffing and follow the directions on the bag, sauteing plenty of chopped celery and onion in the butter before adding it. Usually, I cook the stuffing in a crockpot on low, adding a little chicken broth if necessary from time to time to keep it moist. One can bake the stuffing in the oven, of course, but I like the crockpot better. And the oven is usually pretty full of other things, anyway.

For the mashed potatoes, this is my very best advice:  Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes.  If you have never tried this, I think you will be very thankful to have found this recipe.

With turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes, one must have gravy.  This is the simplest and best turkey gravy recipe I have found: Easy Turkey Gravy.  It makes a generous amount, and the gravy hounds at your table will thank you!

For vegetable side dishes, here are a few of my favorites:

Sweet Potato Casserole

Broccoli Casserole

Scalloped Onions

Or try this wonderful squash and apple bake:

BUTTERCUP SQUASH & APPLE BAKE
3 lbs. buttercup squash
3 apples
6 Tblsp. margarine (or use 4 Tblsp. oil)
2/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 1/2 Tblsp. flour
1 1/4 tsp. salt

Cut squash in halves; remove seeds and fibers. Peel and cut in slices 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch thick. Arrange the slices in a 13 x 9-inch pan.

Core apples but do not peel them. Cut in 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch slices and arrange them on top of squash.

Mix remaining ingredients; sprinkle over top of apples and squash. Cover pan tightly with foil. Bake at 350º for about 1 hour or until squash is tender. Serves 6 to 8.

I have been making this recipe for over thirty years. It’s nice with any autumn meal and would be a great side dish for Thanksgiving. It can be made with any winter squash you like, but my favorite is buttercup.

A nice fresh salad to have with Thanksgiving dinner is this one:

FRUIT and NUT TOSSED SALAD

1 large or 2 medium bunches romaine, torn in bite-size pieces
1 can (11 oz.) mandarin oranges, drained
1 cup seedless red grapes, halved
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted (I toast nuts in the microwave -- quick & easy)

Dressing:
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 Tblsp. vegetable oil
3 Tblsp. sugar

In a large bowl combine all of the salad ingredients and gently toss together. Put all of the dressing ingredients in a small jar. Cover securely and shake to combine. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss to coat ingredients with dressing. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

This is a delicious salad! It’s also very good served with a Mexican meal -- the light, fruity taste is a nice contrast to the spicy hot flavors. I think I will add a few dried cranberries for Thanksgiving, too.

Homemade rolls are nice but certainly not a necessity.  If your family likes rolls, however, check these recipes out:

Homemade Dinner Rolls   
 The above is a recipe for wonderful homemade crescent rolls, very easy to make and delicious.

 And below, my daughter Carrie's honey rolls--originally from Quick Cooking magazine, Sept./Oct. 2000 -- which she is often requested to bring for Thanksgiving:

GOLDEN HONEY PAN ROLLS
(This is a bread machine recipe, but probably could be adapted to make by hand.)

1 c. milk (70-80º)
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 T. honey
1- 1/2 t. salt
3 -1/2 c. bread flour
2-1/4 t. active dry yeast

Glaze:

1/3 c. sugar
2 T. butter, melted
1 T. honey
1 egg white
Additional honey, optional

In bread machine pan, place the first eight ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer. Select dough setting (check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1 to 2 T. of water or flour if needed.) When cycle is completed, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Punch down; cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Divide into 24 pieces; shape each into a ball. Place 12 balls each in two greased 8” baking pans. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes. For glaze, combine sugar, butter, honey and egg white; drizzle over dough. Bake at 350º for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with additional honey if desired.

Yield: 2 dozen


A Thanksgiving meal really needs cranberries in some form, but I don't have a recipe to share for that.  There are great recipes for cranberry sauces and chutneys out there, and the canned is fine also.

Now for pies:

EASY PUMPKIN PIE

1 9-inch unbaked pie crust
1 15-ounce can pumpkin
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 425º. Combine all ingredients except pie crust in a large bowl and beat with electric mixer until well combined. Pour into crust.

Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350º. Bake pie for 35 to 40 minutes longer or until knife inserted 1 inch from crust comes out clean. Cool pie before cutting or serving. Refrigerate leftovers.

I have never really cared for pumpkin pie, I must confess. A couple of years ago I found the above recipe on line and I have never looked back. This one is truly delicious and so easy. I like to top it with a baked pastry cutout in the form of a turkey.

And here are some other of our favorite pie recipes:

Favorite Thanksgiving Pie Recipes

Lastly here are a few other inspiring Thanksgiving links:

A Thanksgiving Memory  -- a memory of my childhood Thanksgivings at my grandmother's house.  I'm going to reread this myself because it is full of fun vintage ideas.

A Children's Book of Thanksgiving Prayers -- This is a vintage book of children's Thanksgiving prayers with charming illustrations.

Thankful Be -- not from my blog, but from Aunt Ruthie at Sugar Pie Farmhouse.  I read this last year and it continues to inspire.

Hope you have enjoyed this potpourri of Thanksgiving ideas! 

Thanksgiving menu and recipes

Well, our 20 pound turkey has been thawing in the fridge since Saturday, and I've finally firmed up what I'm making for Thanksgiving and what our 7 guests will be bringing.

Our Thanksgiving menu will include:

Roast Turkey
Roast Duck (homegrown, brought by guests)
Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes, Gravy
Sweet Potatoes (brought by guests)
Squash (brought by guests)
Creamed Onions
Peas (brought by guests)
Salad (brought by guests)
Cranberry Sauce

Crumb-Topped Apple Pie
Pumpkin Pie
Cranberry Dream Pie
Key Lime Pie (brought by guests)

The beverages with dinner will be cider and water.

With dessert, I plan to serve coffee and hot spiced cider; tea will be available for those who prefer it.

I suppose most of you already have your menu set and know exactly what recipes you'll be using. But just in case, I will share some of my tried-and-true methods and recipes here.

For the turkey, I have tried a number of roasting methods. But the foolproof, best way I have found is to buy a turkey-sized oven bag and follow the chart and directions for roast turkey. Moist and wonderful every time. I roast it unstuffed.

For the stuffing, I buy a bag of Pepperidge Farm herb-seasoned stuffing and follow the directions on the bag, sauteeing plenty of chopped celery and onion in the butter before adding it. Other wonderful additions to stuffing include dried cranberries and/or some crumbled, cooked, drained sausage.

Usually, I cook the stuffing in a crockpot on low, adding a little chicken broth if necessary from time to time to keep it moist. One can bake the stuffing in the oven, of course, but I like the crockpot better. And the oven is usually pretty full of other things, anyway.

For mashed potatoes, these are the best:

MAKE-AHEAD MASHED POTATOES

8 medium to large potatoes, peeled and cut up
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp. onion powder
Salt to taste
Paprika
Parsley flakes

In large saucepan or dutch oven, combine potatoes and enough water to nearly cover them. Bring to boil; reduce heat, and cook, covered, 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain. Mash the potatoes, gradually adding cream cheese, sour cream, salt, and onion powder. Beat with electric mixer (or by hand if you prefer) until fluffy. Spoon into a greased 3-quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with paprika and parsley.
Cover and refrigerate overnight. *
One hour before serving, remove potatoes from refrigerator. Preheat oven to 350º. Bake potatoes uncovered for 45 to 60 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings
* Potatoes can be baked immediately if you prefer to eat them the same day. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

This recipe is a must for Thanksgiving and other gatherings when large amounts of people will be eating mashed potatoes. For our Thanksgivings when we have 20+ people, I usually double this or make 1 1/2 times the recipe.

For years I struggled with making turkey gravy, often resorting to packets of mix or canned or jarred gravy. The following recipe, which I found online, is just perfect and so easy. And it makes a lot, so gravy hounds can really enjoy themselves and ladle on the gravy to their heart's content. (On second thought, it's probably not all that good for their hearts...)

EASY TURKEY GRAVY

5 cups turkey stock with pan drippings
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 cup milk
1/3 cup flour

Bring the turkey stock to boil in a large saucepan. Stir in soup, and season with poultry seasoning, pepper, seasoned salt, and garlic powder. Reduce heat to low, and let simmer.

Warm the milk in the microwave, and whisk in the flour with a fork until there are no lumps. (Or shake the milk and flour together in a plastic shaker.) Return the gravy to a boil, and gradually stir in the milk mixture. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute, or until thickened. Be careful not to let the mixture scorch on the bottom of the pan.

For cranberry sauce, I am going to have a can of jellied sauce, but will do something with whole cranberries also. Last year we tried and enjoyed a baked cranberry sauce recipe from the Susan Branch e-newsletter. This year, I may make that again, but I'm also considering a cranberry chutney.

We have to have pie. Even for just a few people, I think it's nice to offer a choice of pie flavors. I am making three and a friend is bringing a key lime pie.


First, my best advice on pie crust:

MRS. T’S OIL PIE CRUST
(for a 1-crust pie)

1 1/3 c. flour
1 t. salt
1/3 c. canola oil
3-5 T. milk

Stir together flour and salt in a small to medium bowl. Measure oil into glass measuring cup, add milk to oil. Pour milk and oil into the flour/salt mixture. Combine with a fork till it forms a nice ball of dough. Take a wet dishcloth and wash off a section of your counter. Lay a large piece of wax paper on the wet area (so it’ll stick). Put the dough on the wax paper and lay another piece of wax paper on top. Roll out the dough to desired size and shape between the 2 pieces of wax paper. This works really well and saves you having to flour the counter!

For a double crust pie, use

2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup milk

Mix and roll out as above.

I have double or tripled this recipe with no problems. However, I do find that when doubling or tripling, I end up with an extra crust or two, so keep that in mind when figuring how much pastry you’ll need.

Many people think they wouldn’t like a pie crust made with oil. I always use an oil crust for my pies, and they always turn out well. I think an oil pastry is much less finicky than one made with shortening or butter; the dough is much easier to work with. And of course, a crust made with canola oil is healthier, too!

I should also add that many pastry-challenged people use the refrigerated, already-rolled-out sheets of pie crust, and they like them a lot. I'm too frugal to buy them, but I like them too.


CRUMB TOP APPLE PIE

1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
Unbaked 9” pie shell
6 apples, peeled, cored, sliced
Lemon juice
Crumb topping:
1/2 c. sugar
3/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Dash of salt
1/2 cup butter

Begin by mixing together the brown sugar and spices in a small bowl. In the pie shell, alternate layers of apples with the spice mixture. Sprinkle each layer with lemon juice before adding another layer. When all apples and spices are in pie shell, make the topping by mixing the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and dash of salt in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until crumbs form. Top the pie with the crumb topping.
Bake the pie at 450º for 15 minutes; then reduce the heat to 350º and bake 30 minutes more. Serve warm with cheddar cheese or ice cream on the side.

This excellent pie comes from Jane & Michael Stern’s wonderful cookbook, Square Meals. I have made this pie so many times that its page in my handwritten cookbook is freckled with apple juice and spices.

EASY PUMPKIN PIE

1 9-inch unbaked pie crust
1 15-ounce can pumpkin
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 425º. Combine all ingredients except pie crust in a large bowl and beat with electric mixer until well combined. Pour into crust.

Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350º. Bake pie for 35 to 40 minutes longer or until knife inserted 1 inch from crust comes out clean. Cool pie before cutting or serving. Refrigerate leftovers.

I have never really cared for pumpkin pie, I must confess. A couple of years ago I found the above recipe on line and I have never looked back. This one is truly delicious and so easy. I am going to top it -- as my friend Marilyn always tops her pumpkin pies -- with a baked pastry cutout in the form of a turkey.

The third pie I'm planning to make is a new one to me, but I like its festive appearance, and the recipe sounds quite simple. You can find the recipe here: Cranberry Dream Pie

If you would like to see more of my Thanksgiving recipes, do click on the "Thanksgiving" link in the word cloud of labels in the sidebar to the right. Enjoy!

I hope that these recipes, even if a bit last-minute, may enhance your family's Thanksgiving this year!