Dee

No Goodies for me except pudding over the Christmas Holiday... sigh... I have been living on smushy chicken vegetable soup and mashed potatoes with lots of gravy too. I still feel somewhat weak from the knees on down and very tired which is to be expected after surgery from what I hear. With the food its a touch and go thing. Whatever doesn't agree with me I knock off my list of things to eat and this is just starting off on soft foods. Do you all know what I am dying for. A good all beef hot dog with a ton of chili sauce on it.... I can dream can't I. ------------------

"..but if I could give all you guys a hug?..Just wanted to say this. Ed " ( from one of Ed's Posts) I don't know about everyone else but I just can't stop thinking about Ed and his family. If I saw an obituary I think I would get some kind of closure! I was thinking about having a friend of mine from Boston search for an obit in one of the Cape papers or pop down to the Cape to check out the obits in person. There must be some kind of obituary even if its just a few lines in the paper. I keep thinking about his girls and the situation saddens me!

Hope your up and running soon Cat.... ------------------

Welcome aboard theyd ------------------

I posted this in another forum and wanted to know if you distributed the ornaments I sent you to the proper people? Thanks ------------------

If you have Bread thrift stores in your area that you purchase your breads from many times they will give you day old breads and other baked goods at the end of the day for free if they are not sold and you enquirer about them. This is a good way to stock up your freezer with day old bread and treats. Also when grocery shopping ask the produce manager of the section if he has vegetables and fruits that are turning or ready to turn that were on the shelves and its likely that he will give you crates of the veggies and fruits for a dollar or two. Don't be afraid to ask the manager. Most times they are more than happy to give you the produce and fruit for pennies. One year at Christmas everyone got banana and cranberry nut bread for Christmas. ------------------

Look for free clothing banks in your area that are open to the public. Not only do they have good used clothing to give out but many times they have household goods that people donate. The clothing banks are only happy to have people take the goods because that makes room for other donations. ------------------

A year ago my DH was out on one of his walks when he came across a 19 inch color tv/vcr combo. He went back with our van and picked it up. All it needed was a new hand control switcher. He also found a similar one around that time too and picked it up. There were a few problems with the picture but he changed the tube and now it works great. For both sets he bought those universal controllers you can buy anywhere and programmed them from codes on the net. We have tv's all over the house. I have many friends who have secret wealth and the reason they have it is that they dumpster dive, shop at thrift stores and garage sales just to save pennies which have turned into nicely padded bank accounts. A doctor friend of ours buys all his suits at the Salvation Army. This is one of the most noted physicians in the area and he always looks top shelf. One day he exposed his secret to me. His wife died and he was left to raise their six children and even though he was making good money he never bought any of their clothes new. They all got thrift store clothes but were always nicely dressed. This doctor and other friends of ours have furnished their lakefront homes with curbside furniture and toss outs and their places look absolutely charming. My youngest sister found an antique armoir on the curb after an estate sale in her neighborhood and she asked the family if she could have it for her girls clothes and they gave it to her. It worth over 7,000 dollars. I am glad I talked her into having it appraised. ------------------

Merry Christmas everyone... are you all prepared for the snowstorm? 10 to 20 inches maybe more coming our way if the storm stalls. Batten down the hatches Lois. If dopler radar gets it right for once we are in for one heck of a storm. ------------------

Happy Holidays across the pond there Lowie... I can't say as I have ever heard of that magazine. Is it a literary piece. We have so many magazines and cirulars here in the states that its hard to keep track of every one of them. ------------------

Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi "Lord make me the instrument of your peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith, where there is despair, hope, where there is darkness, light, and where there is sadness, joy.” “O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console, to be understood as to understand; to be loved, as to love; for it is giving that we receive it is in pardoning that we are pardoned and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Thanks Ed for the laughter and the love you shared here......you will never be forgotten

Lowie how about an e-mail reminder for the book read. Everyone who wants to participate in the read gets on the list and is notified about new books to read and discuss with everyone participating in read selections. ------------------

Make your own spiral lighted tree I took a tomato cage, turned it upside down, wrapped 18ft rope light around it, put lighted stars on top and ta-da!! Looks great!! for a Christmas Lawn tree lit up. I have also made artificial trees.....turn the tomato cages upside down, put garland around it to cover the entire cage, add a string of lights, decorate it with whatever you want and you have a mini Christmas tree. I usually make some of these for area nursing homes. They are tabletop and really come out cute when your down decorating. ------------------

From the diva of flowers herself, Martha Stewart: Conditioning Cut Flowers If you are buying flowers from a shop, the florist should have conditioned them for you. But whenever you pick flowers from your garden or buy a growers’ bunch at a farm stand, follow these simple steps to keep them in good shape for a week or longer. Gather Tools To cut and properly prepare any kind of stem, keep on hand: a sharp knife, scissors or garden shears, and pruners. Cut Stems Cut all green and woody stems at a 45-degree angle. This prevents stems from sitting flat in the vase and creates a large surface area, ensuring maximum water absorption. Use clippers or shears for woody stems and sharp scissors or knives for other flowers. If possible, cut stems under water. Remove Foliage For all flowers, remove any leaves that would otherwise sit under the waterline in the vase; leaves rot when submerged, encouraging algae and bacteria in the container and shortening the life of the blooms. Enhance the Water For cut flowers to survive, they need sugar for nourishment and an acidic ingredient, such as aspirin, to help them absorb water. Cut-flower food provides all the nutrition stems need, but you can also use this formula: For every quart of water, add two aspirins, a teaspoon of sugar, and a few drops of bleach (to reduce bacteria). Check water level frequently to make sure stem ends are covered; change the water and re-cut stems every five days. ------------------

I took a tomato cage, turned it upside down, wrapped 18ft rope light around it, put lighted stars on top and ta-da!! Looks great!! for a Christmas Lawn tree lit up. I have also made artificial trees.....turn the tomato cages upside down, put garland around it to cover the entire cage, add a string of lights, decorate it with whatever you want and you have a mini Christmas tree. I usually make some of these for area nursing homes. They are tabletop and really come out cute when your down decorating. ------------------

Hey LOWIE, we must have had tips on the brain today.....This is a very good one... Bumping this up ------------------

Santa's Shortbread Cookies 1 cup butter, softened 3/4 cup powdered sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/8 teaspoon salt Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add powdered sugar, beating well. Add vanilla, beating until blended. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Divide cookie dough in half; shape each portion into a 10-inch log. Wrap in wax paper, and chill 8 hours; or freeze up to 6 weeks, and thaw in refrigerator. Cut each roll into 1/3-inch-thick slices; place on lightly greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to wire racks to cool. Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread Cookies: Microwave 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate morsels in a glass bowl at HIGH 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Dip half of each cooled cookie into chocolate. Place on wax paper to set. Peanut Butter-and-Jelly Shortbread Cookies: Stir 1/2 cup peanut butter into dough after adding flour mixture. Make an indentation in center of each cookie slice before baking. Fill each indentation with 1/4 teaspoon jelly. Chocolate-Mint Shortbread Cookies: Stir 1 (4.67-ounce) package chocolate mints, chopped, into dough after adding flour mixture. Proceed as directed. Toffee Shortbread Cookies: Stir 1 cup almond brickle chips into dough after adding flour mixture. Proceed as directed. (For testing purposes only, we used Heath Bits o' Brickle chips, found near chocolate chips in the grocery store.) Pecan-Crusted Shortbread Cookies: Coat 10-inch logs with 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans. Proceed as directed. Red Cinnamon Candy Shortbread Cookies: Stir 1/2 cup red cinnamon candies into dough after adding flour mixture. Proceed as directed. Snowman Shortbread Cookies: Chill dough 2 hours after adding flour mixture. Shape dough into 16 (3/4-inch) balls, 16 (1/2-inch) balls, and 16 (1/4-inch) balls. Use 1 ball of each size to make snowman shapes, leaving no space between balls. Bake as directed. For eyes, use black gel frosting after cookies cool, or press chocolate mini morsels into warm cookies. Make scarves using red decorator frosting after cookies cool

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg or ground cinnamon (optional) 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1/2 cup butter or margarine (at room temperature) 1 cup reduced-fat sour cream 1 large egg 2 teaspoons vanilla For the glaze: 2 cups sifted confections sugar 3 tablespoon low-fat (1% milkfat) milk 1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste or liquid food coloring (optional) Makes about 36 cookies. Preparation time: 40 minutes. Chilling time: 1 hour. Cooking time: 24 minutes. Step 1: In a medium-size bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg (if using), and salt. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium, cream the granulated sugar and butter, beating until fluffy, scraping side of bowl often. Step 2: Add the sour cream, egg, and the 2 teaspoons vanilla, beating well. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour mixture just until flour disappears. Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces. Wrap each piece of dough in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until thoroughly chilled and easy to handle. Step 3: Preheat the oven to 375°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 piece of dough to 1/4-inch thickness and cut into shapes with cookie cutters. With a spatula, transfer the cookies to ungreased cookie sheets, placing them 2 inches apart. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges are firm and bottoms are lightly browned. Remove cookies and cool on wire racks. Repeat with remaining dough. Step 4: To prepare the glaze, in a medium-size bowl, stir together confectioners sugar, half of the milk, the 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and a little food coloring (if using). Gradually stir in enough of the remaining milk to make the mixture of glazing consistency. Spread the top of each cooled cookie with some of the glaze. Allow glaze to dry completely. Store cookies in an airtight container (do not freeze glazed cookies).

Yield: 8 servings. 5 pounds sweet potatoes 1/2 cup golden raisins 1/4 cup brandy 2/3 cup eggnog 3 tablespoons butter or margarine -- melted 2 tablespoons sugar 1/8 teaspoon salt 2 oatmeal cookies -- crumbled 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar 2 tablespoons chopped pecans -- toasted Cook sweet potatoes in water to cover in a large Dutch oven 40 minutes or until tender; drain and cool to touch. Peel sweet potatoes and mash. Combine raisins and brandy; let stand 30 minutes. Drain. Combine mashed sweet potatoes, eggnog, and next 3 ingredients; reserve 2 cups sweet potato mixture. Stir raisins into remaining sweet potato mixture, and spoon into a lightly greased 2-quart baking dish. Combine cookie crumbs, brown sugar, and chopped pecans; sprinkle cookie mixture over top of casserole. Pipe or dollop reserved 2 cups sweet potato mixture around edge of casserole. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Per Serving: 387 Calories; 9g Fat (20.4% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 71g Carbohydrate; 7g Dietary Fiber; 24mg Cholesterol; 136mg Sodium. ++++ Exchanges: 3 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fruit; 1 1/2 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.

Diabetic Broccoli Chicken Casserole 2 1/2 c chopped chicken breast meat 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup (10 3/4 oz) 1/2 c milk 1/2 c shredded Monterey Jack cheese (low fat) 1 pkg frozen broccoli (10 oz) 1/2 c chopped green onion 1 t dried basil 1/2 t ground black pepper Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl combine the chicken, soup, milk, cheese, broccoli, green onion, basil and pepper. Mix well and spread mixture into a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees F for 50 minutes, until bubbly. Makes 6 servings. Nutritional information: 217 calories, 10 g fat, 25 g protein, 8 g carbohydrates, 64 mg cholesterol, 472 mg sodium, 2 g fiber.

Ingredients: 1 cup softened margarine 1 teaspoon vanilla 2/3 cup sugar 1 2/3 cup flour 1/4 cup cocoa 1 bag (9 oz) chocolate kisses Beat margarine, sugar & vanilla until it is creamy. In separate bowl, stir together flour and cocoa. Blend into other mixture, mixing well. Refrigerate for about 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle. Mold scant tablespoon dough around each kiss, covering completely. Shape into balls, then bake on cookie sheet for 10 to 12 minutes or until set. Cool, then roll in powdered sugar. Makes 4 1/2 dozen. ------------------

To make your biscuits lighter and fluffier, add 1/4 teaspoon Cream of Tartar sifted into the dry ingredients. ------------------

French fries are cheap but time consuming to make from scratch at home, so if you run short on time, use frozen ones. If you find a good deal on the frozen kind, it's still cheaper than a side order at any fast food restaurant. You can mimic the special flavors by using seasoned salt instead of plain. Put them briefly in sugar water just before putting them into hot oil and they'll brown nicely. (It also helps that fast food flavor!) ------------------

This soup is really filling and taste good too. ABC Meatball Soup MEATBALLS 1 pound ground turkey breast OR lean ground beef 3/4 cup Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked) 1/3 cup barbecue sauce OR catsup SOUP 1 can (49 oz.) reduced-sodium fat-free chicken broth 1/4 cup alphabet-shaped pasta 1 package (10 oz.) frozen mixed vegetables (do not thaw) 1.Heat broiler. Lightly spray rack of broiler pan with cooking spray. 2.In large bowl, combine meatball ingredients; mix lightly but thoroughly. Transfer to a sheet of foil. Pat mixture into 9 x 6-inch rectangle. Cut into 1-1/2-inch squares; roll each square into a ball. Arrange meatballs on broiler pan. 3.Broil meatballs 6 to 8 inches from heat about 6 minutes or until cooked through, turning once. 4.While meatballs cook, bring chicken broth to a boil in 4-quart saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add pasta and frozen vegetables; return to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 8 minutes or until vegetables and pasta are tender. Add meatballs and cook 1 minute. Serve immediately. 6 SERVINGS NUTRITION INFORMATION: 1/6 of recipe Calories 200, Calories From Fat 30, Total Fat 3g, Saturated Fat 0.5g, Cholesterol 35mg, Sodium 720mg, Total Carbohydrates 19g, Dietary Fiber 4g, Protein 25g. Cook's Tips: Garlic powder, onion powder or dried thyme leaves may be added to the meatball ingredients. Frozen corn, frozen green beans, frozen peas and carrots, or your favorite vegetable blend may be substituted for the mixed vegetables. ------------------

7 oz.(4 cups) uncooked wide egg noodles 1 (10-3/4-oz) can condensed cream of celery soup 1 (12-oz.) can evaporated milk or 1½ cups half and half 1 tbps. instant minced onion 1 tps. seasoned salt 2 (6oz.) cans water -packed tuna, drained, flaked 1 (9oz.) pkg. frozen peas, thawed 1 (2-8 oz.) can French-fried onions Cook noodles to desired doneness as directed on package. Drain, rinse with hot water. Meanwhile, heat oven to 350º. In ungreased 2-quart casserole dish combine soup, milk, onion and salt. Add cooked noodles, tuna and peas;mix well, and cover. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes. Remove from oven;stir well. Sprinkle with French fried onions. Bake uncovered for a additional 5 minutes. ------------------