More Please – 40 Days of Thankfulness

About me:

My favorite band – Squeeze (usually)

My favorite flavor – Lemon (mostly)

My favorite cocktail – Dirty Dry Vodka Martini with a lemon twist (frequently)

My favorite color – Green (favorably)

My favorite room in the house – Kitchen (understandably)

My favorite hobby – Cooking (when I am not knitting, walking, reading, spending time with friends …)

I am so happy when I am in the kitchen cooking up a storm whether it’s a regular dinner for the two of us or a dinner party for friends or whipping something up to share with others at a pot luck. It is so gratifying and wondrous to cook.

And on that note … I am making a new recipe today to share with my church friends tomorrow. (really up here all I have is church friends, but I would serve this to my other friends as well)

It’s another Cooking Light adaptation:

Macaroni with Six Cheeses

Tomorrow is when we decorate the church for Advent and Christmas and we all share a meal as a Thanksgiving offering. I have been assured there will be chicken and noodles, sloppy joes, plenty of Jello salads, pies, cakes and a bunch of casseroles. My contribution will be the mac and cheese that hopefully everyone will enjoy. I tested it out last week on Paul and he loved it.

I hope you enjoy it too. It is my Thanksgiving offering to you.

Macaroni and Six Cheeses

Makes 6 servings

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2-2/3 cups low-fat milk

1/3 cup each: extra sharp cheddar, Monterey jack, Asiago and Swiss

¼ cup parmesan

3oz reduced-fat Velveeta

6 cups cooked macaroni (about 3 cups uncooked)

Salt and Pepper to taste

½ cup seasoned bread crumbs

1.     Preheat oven to 375°

2.     Cook macaroni if uncooked.

3.     In a large saucepan, whisk together flour and milk. Cook over medium heat until thick (about 8 minutes) stirring constantly.

4.     Remove milk mixture from heat and let set for 4 minutes. Add cheeses and stir to melt. Season with salt and pepper.

5.     Add cooked macaroni to cheese mixture and combine making sure all the cheese has melted. Re-season if necessary with salt and pepper.

6.     Spoon into an oven-safe casserole dish and top with bread crumbs.

7.     Cook for 30 minutes or until bubbly and top is golden brown.

It’s that simple and so delicious. If making ahead of time like I am, let it cool after cooking in the oven and cover with foil. To reheat just place in oven at 350 covered for 30 minutes or so, remove foil and let the top crisp up or you can add the bread crumbs at the last minute and broil (watch closely). 

My Morning Cup – 40 Days of Thankfulness

This post isn’t deep or thought provoking, but I wanted to express my sincere gratitude for my morning cup of coffee. It is such a staple in my life and when I don’t have it, I really miss its warm embrace and feel like the day just didn’t start off quite right.

Not a coffee snob, I like to brew a strong pot and add a dash of Hershey’s chocolate syrup and some skim milk to my favorite cup. Fancy it’s not, but suits me just fine. Don’t get me wrong, I have turned down cups that were weak, muddy and/or just not right. I prefer a strong brew, like Cuban coffee, that can be enjoyed throughout the day.

It’s a simple pleasure, but one I am most grateful for. Thank you coffee!

Please Pass The Friendship – 40 Days of Thankfulness

There is something about sharing a meal with friends that makes it soul nourishing. Paul and I have been invited to several meals with members of our congregation enabling us to not only learn about the local cuisines, but also the folks who asked for our company.

Tonight, we tagged along to another church’s Fall Festival to share a meal with Jean, Annabelle and Don, three of our favorite church family members. The host church was where Jean grew up more than 80 years ago walking each Sunday with her family to worship.

I always like spending time with this small group – Don a retired wheat farmer, Annabelle a retired rural postal carrier and Jean a retired educator. They make jokes and tell tales spanning their lifetimes in this small rural community. It’s such a blessing.

The meal was also something to be wildly thankful for – full of things we never eat at home and new explorations. The smorgasbord contained fried chicken, ham and ham balls (this is like a ham loaf but in a ball), a variety of casseroles, including broccoli and rice, potato and cheese, scalloped chicken, sweet potato, stuffing and hot German potato salad. My plate was getting full fast with all of these new things to try. Then came the cold stuff – pickled beets, pickled eggs, coleslaw, layered salad, Jello, applesauce, fruit, hardboiled eggs, and a couple things that I wasn’t too clear about.

The abundance was amazing and the choices overwhelming, but with a full try in hand, I made it to our table and devoured every last bite. I know some of my foodie friends may turn their noses up at some of these choices, but I believe I should at least try things before I am prejudice of them (also if I said I was in France trying different stuff you would probably applaud me for my bravery, not judge me for me open mindedness.)

A meal isn’t a meal without dessert. The choices had me wondering for quite a while, especially since I was more stuffed than I’d been since last Thanksgiving. I chose a slice of Dutch apple pie and coffee to round out this dining experience.

I am so thankful not only for the full belly, but for the full heart I had this evening and wish everyone in the world could experience it as I have.

For those curious and wanting to try something very Midwestern, here are two recipes from our church cookbook.

Scalloped Chicken

Betty Jo Black

3 cups cooked diced chicken

1-1/2 cups chicken broth

1 can each – cream of chicken and cream of celery soup

1 stick butter or margarine

1 med. diced onion

2 eggs

1tsp salt

1 loaf of white bread

Pepper to taste

1.     Preheat oven to 350.

2.     Mix soups and broth in saucepan stirring constantly.

3.     Add butter and melt.

4.     Cube bread and put in a large bowl, adding chicken and onion.

5.     Pour liquid over bread and stir.

6.     Beat eggs and add to bread mixture.

7.     Pour into greased 10 x13 casserole and bake uncovered for 45-60 minutes.

Ham Loaf

Ruth Buck

Meat Loaf:

1lb ground smoked ham

1lb ground lean fresh pork

2 eggs

¾ cup soft bread crumbs

¾ cup milk

2 TBSP catsup

Mix and form into a loaf.

Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Baste with glaze after the first 30 minutes and every 20 minutes after.

Glaze:

1 cup brown sugar

½ cup pineapple juice

2TBSP prepared mustard

½ cup crushed pineapple

2TBSP vinegar

Mix ingredients over medium heat until they boil and thicken. 

My Letter Home - March 28

Getting Ready for Opening Day!

It has been a wild week and that’s why there haven’t been any blog posts plus the delay of my Letter Home. I was sick for a couple days thanks to some bad food that knocked me off my feet and made me wish for death for about 24 hours. But all is well now as I rejoice in losing a few pounds and jumpstart my way back to healthy.

This week was all about new adventures both locally and out of town. Friday night, the church hosted a Lock In for the youth inviting kids from the church and their friends to spend the night in the church, play games, watch movies, eat tons of junk food and drive the adults chaperoning the event crazy. I was lucky to have the puppies as my out with Paul choosing to sleep on the hard floor of the church basement with about 30 kids and some parents. I went for the first couple hours to play some “get-to-know-you” games, watch the first part of The 10 Commandments and see how man Cheetohs a 12-year-old boy could shove into his mouth at one time.

One of the games involved either/or questions such as, “Do you prefer to live in the desert or Artic?” Paul and I at the same time answered, “Aren’t we living in the Artic already?” That got a laugh from those folks who consider 40 degrees to be spring.

With the man who turned me on to baseball - Go Reds!

For the next two days I was in bed, while it snowed and the world went gray. But I was ready to go on Tuesday when we ventured south to Cincinnati to see Paul and Heidi who were visiting folks in Lexington. We went to this great restaurant on the river, Moerlein Lager House that had the most fantastic Short Rib Grilled Cheese Sandwich and Coleslaw that was amazing. Since I was still getting over the crud, I kept to ginger ale instead of their artisan beers, but I definitely want to go back. We spent the rest of the day at the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame Museum which helped put me in a baseball state of mind. I will miss my Rays, but I figure since the Reds are the oldest professional baseball team, it’s historical. Plus, they don’t play each other – unless they both get to the World Series and then yes, I am all the way – Rays!

The secret to vibrant applique is to use fabric that has some motion to it.

On Wednesday, I went to my very first Quilter’s Guild meeting. I have never been to a guild meeting and one of the ladies in our church invited me to go with her and her daughter. It was a pretty cool time. 

I love this design!

I learned about a festival in Logan Ohio that is dedicated to washboards, got some tips and tools regarding applique, had so many people offer to help me make my first quilt, delighted in a delicious lunch from Mumfords, a down-home favorite, and took home an armful of books about quilting. The whole event was inspiring and these ladies are true artisans when it comes to turning fabric into art.

Isn't this just so amazing - and it's all done by hand. 

With today being Maundy Thursday, the week and Lent are coming to a close. We have a busy weekend and then I am hoping to just spend time creating next week, I have so many sewing, knitting and cooking ideas rolling around in my head that I must get them out.

I miss you all and take care,

Patricia

What I Miss Most About My Old Home: Wearing sandals on Easter Sunday with a cute dress and not having to layer it with a wool coat and stockings.

What I Like Most About My New Home: The creativity and simple pleasures I have learned from the locals and that I ignored for so long.