Clean up going good where they have power or are preparing to put on power again. The roads were really slick this morning so I turned around and came back home. It was just too dangerous. Saw a bus in a ditch too. Not long after that they called off school for the day. Smart move.
Play hookey,and tropical gardening in the greenhouse!2
AM DROPPING OFF A CHRISTMAS TREE FOR YOU GUYS,AND THIS IS WHAT YOU WILL GET WITH YOUR TREE THIS YEAR FROM ME
. -------I WISH-------- FOR YOU IS THIS
._______________♥ Joy
_______________♥♥ Love
______________♥♥♥♥ Hope
_____________♥♥♥♥♥♥ Faith
____________♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ Peace
Oh, Jaye. How sweet you are. Doesn't matter if you came late to the *table*. Obviously, you are filled. This is a Merry, Merry Christmas.
I am forever His, Christi!
Tman, you can't believe what I'm cooking.
All that meatloaf is making Kel craves for some hooved meat, so it's gonna be pot roast with carrots, taters and mushrooms. Then, I am adding thick bucatinni noodles! (Adapting your chicken n noodles) But no bread...enough carbo with the taters and noodles!
So, Christi, what's your chef up to?
I don't know just yet. Let me find out.
Looks like cheeseburgers tonite!
With chips and a big ole pickle!!!!!
Well went got my new glasses,guess they will take some time to get use to them,they
widen the bifocal range,so I could read better,they get you use to one way then change it
without even telling you!!!!
In the meantime, it's my civic duty to warn all to get out of your way Tman, when you're walking!! Lololol!
Mike and I got new lense about 10 days ago. I'm still stumbling and he took his back and made them give him his old lense. Oh well.
He's preparing preprepared chicken and stir fry and rice with egg rolls. Soo--kee. Not his best idea.
Well, Christi, his not so best is still good food fare. Lucky for Kel, I enjoy cooking, if not I'd be throwing cookbooks at him!!
Patti, Christi..how long did it take you both to train your guys to cook?
Lou sounds like your having all white tonite!!!LOL
Was single a time in my life,and there wasn't as many places to eat as there is now,I live within a few blocks of every fast restaurant you can name!!!!
Beside I helped my mamma in the kitchen when I was very young,and really learned a lot!!!! Don't mind cooking if someone else cleans up after me!!!LOL
Yeah, Kel does lift his finger to help me with the dishes...press that button on the dishwasher! Hrrrummph!!
We had tuna casserole and my dad actually cooked it!! It was a miracle. This version is the common one. Mushroom soup, big elbow mac, cheese, salt and pepper to taste, a bit of milk.
Sounds good Pep. Last time I had tuna casserole, can't remember when! Tend to feed the cats tuna!
Edited to add: Sometimes I do a tuna patty. Tuna, an egg, seasonings and some flour, all mixed well and drop in oiled non-stick frying pan.
This message was edited Dec 12, 2007 8:30 PM
LOL. We do too!! Our other version is we cook the mac, put it in a casserole dish or glass pan, add 2 cans of tuna in oil, use a fork to mix it in the noodles, add cheddar cheese, mix it in the noodles, add a generous helping on top, then add crumbled cheez-its on top. Cook for 30 mins give or take.
I love tuna casserole Pep....used to make it alot when my husband and I were first married. Now DS cannot eat cooked tuna, makes him sick, so we do not have it! But it really is Gooooood! Sounds very similar to my old recipe! Sometimes I would use egg noodles, also.
We had cheeseburgers tonight as well TM, only with baked fries and Tator Tots. Grandkids were here. DD picked them up. They were on there way to the mall to find dress pants for the grandson. He has a band performance tomorrow night! Always leaving things for the last minute!!!!!!!! Then on to church!
DS started cooking when he was about 12. That summer after school was out he was too old to go to day care, so he and his sister stayed home. He cooked for the both of them because she was only 9. It's been that way ever since. He loves to cook, and there pretty much isn't anything he doesn't cook. He's very good with spices, and makes up his own recipes. Most everything is very tasty. I do the holiday meals, and cook some .....breakfast on the weekends, but otherwise he is the main chef!!!!!!!! It is really nice!
I know Christi sure likes having a chef! I'm sure Patti does too!
Thanks for the Christmas tree Jaye! That is lovely!!!!!!!!!
Jen, Carol, who's the cook?????
Yep Patti volunteered to cook tonite,she makes a mean cheeseburger!!!!LOL
Pepper,that has to be the oldest recipe known to man!!!Made that many times myself!!!!
Thanks heaven,I too can offer to help with the dishes!!
I'm tired of hearing don't you ever put your things in the dishwasher(brand new Maytag too!!!)I say honey not to the way it would please you!!!LOL
Everytime I did I got a lecture it was the wrong way!
Well off to clean bird cages and feed and water the parrots!!
Then give each one 30 minutes of biting time on me,my ears get sore sometime,they like to play rough sometimes!!!LOL
Turns out the preprep wasn't after all. Just a little chicken, stir fry veggies, rice and hot mustard. Pretty good stuff. Will look for the fruit cake recipe while I am resting before night, night.
If I have potatoes or rice I'm good with anything.
LouC Goosey
Some of those prepared Stir Fry's are pretty good! SIL uses them! Not bad!
I think we are going to start having more stir fry's and veggies!
Gonna call it a night soon also! Night all!
nuttin better than peppers and onions,saute with chicken or beef!
Night!
And mushrooms! Night!!
Found the fruit cake recipe that my mother and grandmother made.
Want it here or shall I go to the recipe forum?
Christi
My loquat tree is absolutely covered with blooms and bees. Roses and datura are blooming like it is spring and the gloriousa daisy thinks it is summer. I must have at least 20 different bloomers going full blast. Now they are saying maybe a freeze on Saturday, maybe not.
Here!
Hurray!!! You have bees Christi!!! Blessed be!!!
I am so happy....cos, this year there's very few bees around here. They are so crucial to our food chain, aren't they??
Our Loquat tree is in it's first year. Can't brag on blooms yet!
Ok..gonna dance the bee dance!
We have never been without bees. I am not fully organic but I don't use any kind of bug killer. Still sort of addicted to MG and Scott's turf builder.
don't want to get in trouble for doing recipes on Tman's thread.
Bees are very scarce around here. It's a hot topic at work cause we are trying to figure it out.
Bus in ditch. Pic provided by the driver's hubby.
I don't think Tman cares since it is foooooood. LOL
Oh how terrible. I'll bet she doesn't sleep tonight. Not her fault at all. The school district should be ashamed to ask everyone to be there in this kind of weather. Better to add a day or two to the end than try to get there on a day like today. It's all about money you know. Worked for the school district for 4 years.
Second period they take roll that gives them the daily supplement from the state.
If a student shows for second period...that's all that matters. grumble, mumble, grumble, mumble....
I'm trying to go earth-friendly, since butterflies are abundant around here. It's just Kel made me aware of European settlers that brought the bees with them.
I thought we are the only ones noticing the reduced number of bees, until we read some mags.
Say, you could dahlin-mail me the recipe, Christi! Then you'd be gifting me with my very first, precious heirloom fruitcake recipe!
I know exactly what you mean LouC. Worked at a school too at one time. lol.
What happened was the supertindent went out and roads were fine. After he got home the mist started and made the roads slick. The buses were already out at that time so he didn't call off til after the bus went in the creek and other drivers reported problems. Just one of those things that happened without notice.
How awful...but thank God, just the bus, no humans hurt.
MAGIC FRUIT CAKE
1 pound candied cherries
1 pound candied pinepple
1 pound pitted dates
4 cups (1 pound) pecans
4 oz. dry coconut
1 can sweetened condensed milk (the oz. may have changed since this was the 50's)
Cut fruit and nuts into small pieces. Mix all ingredients and press down into mold or pan which has been greased and lined with waxed or foil paper.
Cook in 300 degree oven for 1 hour.
this will make two loaf pans.
Be sure to remove the waxed paper immediately when it comes from the oven or it will stick.
I remember loving this when a child. My grandmother was a tetotaler so there was no rum on it. Use your own judgement. Do remember that it was better if it got to set for a few days. There was never any left to pass on the next year as a brick.
She also ALWAYS had whipped cream to go on absolutely everything. My grandfather used it in his coffee. This was home whipped of course. I have her jar and top with the beater that was used every single day. Real Butter and real whipped cream. A different life. The word *diet* had not been invented. Grandmothers were supposed to be fluffy. Since I am now a great-grandmother I have permission to be fluffy.
Thanks a lot Christi. I think the size of the can still remains the same. B4 diabetic days, I'd love condensed milk in my coffee. Learnt that habit from Dad. If you noticed, Vietnamese coffee uses that too.
Shan't use any rum nor brandy. Love the idea of coconut in it too. I'll give it a go and let you know how it turns out.
Off to bed...nite dear friend.
Thanks from me too Christi (and from Frank!).Will have a go as soon as I am done painting the beams.
Well while everyone is sleeping I will creep in and slip this Australian fruit cake recipe in here LouC that one sure looks wonderful but it is different to ours ...so this is an ozzy cake
Christmas Cake
6 cups mixed dried fruit – include craisins, raisins, sultanas, currants, apricots, cumquats and dates
1 cup pistachios, toasted, chopped
1 cup whole almonds, toasted, chopped
1 cup mixed peel, chopped
1 cup (250ml) dessert wine
1 cup (250ml) brandy
250g butter
1½ cups dark brown sugar
juice and rind of 1 orange and 1 lemon
5 eggs
2 tablespoons black treacle
1½ cups self-raising flour
½ cup ground almonds
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon mixed spice
½ teaspoon ground cloves
METHOD
Combine fruit, nuts, mixed peel and 3/4 of the combined alcohols in a large mixing bowl the day before you are planning to bake the cake. Allow to soak overnight, stirring occasionally.
Line the base and sides of a 24cm square cake pan with 2 layers of brown paper and one of baking paper. Preheat oven to 150°c.
Cream butter, sugar and zests until light and creamy. Add eggs, beating well after each addition. Add soaked fruit and nuts, orange and lemon juice and treacle and stir to combine.
Sift dry ingredients onto wet ingredients and gently fold in.
Spoon mixture into lined cake pan and smooth the top creating a shallow dip in the centre. This will help the cake to rise evenly.
Tap cake on the bench to remove any air holes. Bake in preheated oven for 2- 2 ½ hours or until a skewer comes out clean. Cover cake with foil if top of cake starts to brown too much. Cool cake in the pan before turning out and brushing it with some brandy.
Serve with hot custard or brandy butter.
Sorry Tm I just want you all to see how we make ours, I think I will make LouC's too!
Hope everyone is ok sweet dreams all!
LC,wheres the magic??
When it's all eaten,you can say poof,magic its gone!!!LOL
Chrissy I can see my waist line growing as I was reading the recipe!!!LOL
5 eggs?????
Lord the cholesterol! LOL
Surely this must be for skinny people!!!
Sounds good to me! You only live once! LOL!
Christi, you are not "fluffy". You looked very nice when you were here!
Hi Everyone! Glad the weather hasn't overpowered everyone! Even John's storm got downgraded! Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!
It was so beautiful here today! Very nice! Cool....High 57 I think....very Nice!
Had two peachy orange Hibiscus in bloom from one of those I got from Lowes for a dollar. Didn't get it's picture! Very pretty little thing!
2 Fruitcakes to try out! Chrissy, can treacle be sub with honey? Don't think I'd find one in our local grocery stores.
C'mon Don..you can sacrifice 5 pizzas for the fruitcakes!!!! Lolol.
It's in the 70's again today. Hope your weather's not too harsh.
You can use golden syrup instead ...:) Tm eggs have now been given the all clear down here ...now considered a superfood!
I just wanted you to see what a "traditional" Christmas cake is like ...heavy and rich, imagine stuffing that in after a big baked dinner with all the trimmings ...and usually in searing heat!
Funny lot we are here ...still a bit mixed up as to "tradition" because settlement has not been all that long really and although a lot of English ,Irish and Scottish is most of our background of course that is fast changing to everything and everyone.
Isn't it grand that things are easing up a little ...the sun peeked through today!
LouC "fluffy" is adorable!
Snow coming in tonight.
Enjoy those fruit cakes for me. lol