Goodbye Thanksgiving, Christmas, Germs and Happy New Year

Thanksgiving and Christmas is past us and I'm really happy they are over. They sneak up on us too fast and then get chaotic buying groceries and shopping for that perfect gift on each person on your list. It gets crazy and stressful. Not to say that I don't enjoy spending time with the family, because I do.

It's just in November, I was taking two courses at work; one part of a six month college preparedness program and the other to prepare for a national exam in trauma coding. That on top of my routine daily work and one co-worker being out for part of the month (for a seminar and vacation). Somehow I pulled it off, but not without consequences.

My kids have different places to be when the official Thursday Thanksgiving comes around and I am usually offered the opportunity to work on the holiday, so I did. Our official family get-together fell on the Saturday afterwards. I cooked and made deserts and the family came over around noon. Everything was terrific. The turkey tasted great with Rosemary spices and was not overdone. The meal side dishes was a hit and around two o'clock, we had gathered outside in the chilly fall air to watch the kids run around in the yard. That's when it struck me, this horrible headache and a touch of nausea in the pit of my tummy. By the time everyone had left, I felt worse and by nightfall, I had a slight fever, chills, and a sore throat.

The next week was a kaleidoscope of symptoms that went away and new ones that appeared: a sour stomach, body aches, a nagging cough without production of phlegm. By the time I saw the doctor on the following Thursday, nothing came up when I blew my nose, but the raspiness had settled into my chest. She told me it was something viral and that I just had to tough it out; but she did give me a strong cough medicine to take with codeine. So another week went by, miserably with a stronger, hacking cough. The cough medicine brought me no relief at night and I still had to go to work every day. The raspiness in my chest sounded thicker within my chest; but I was not wheezing. I was so sick of coughing. Finally I emailed my doctor and she prescribed me an antibiotic. Within three days, the raspiness was breaking up and I was coughing less. Thank goodness!

Yet, everyone around me was coming down with different ailments too: tummy bugs, strep throat, and even the flu. My kids got sick. My co-workers got sick. And I was struggling to avoid having a relapse. In December, I had stopped going to the gym because I was too worn out; and worse, I was over eating. There were too many sweets around and I was baking for the Christmas season. I just couldn't say no and I gained back a few pounds. We also had a death in the family right during the week before Christmas, which added to my stress levels and over binging. Gosh! It got to be too much!! Yet, Christmas arrived with two family celebrations and thank goodness most of us were well enough to enjoy it.

Now it's the week into the New Year and I sit here updating my blog. My son has come down with a temperature, sore throat, and a fever just yesterday. Poor thing. I hope it's just a temporary bug, but I'm trying to avoid him and really wish for a can of Lysol to be found. I must send my hubby to the store later to purchase some. Who wants to start the New Year getting sick? I don't. I hope my son bounces back quickly and not have this linger on.

I so always enjoy the meaning of the holidays but I really can do without the stress and craziness of these bugs/illnesses floating around. I think much contributes to our bodies breaking down resistance. Like the temperatures in Texas. Starting in September, our temperatures go up and down, from 70 degrees to twenty degrees and back. Its never constant. In November and December cold fronts zoom into our area. Since the temperatures don't stay steady, the germs seem to go into hyperactive growth drive. Cultivating like fungus. Plus with everyone hugging and kissing their relatives, and traveling to see them again, the germs just have a field day.

So my hope for the New Year, when things calm down and the temperatures finally stay steadier, because it is officially winter time, is for everyone to stay well and healthy. Forget about money, or finding love, or prosperity. We can always have these things, but our health helps us appreciate what we have. It helps us endure and carry on. So for me, it's back to the gym to exercise and lower my blood sugars, to build resistance; it's constant hand washing; and buying that can of Lysol to keep around the house.

I am sure 2011 will be a better year for all of us. It's been an up and down ride in 2010 and at times fun, but I want to tuck it away in memory, just like I download all the 2010 pics to put away on a disk and see at a later time. I will remember the good and forget the pain of family discord and a recent death. Hope, health, and a new commitment to be a stronger person is my New years resolution. Whatever yours may be, best of luck and may God continue to watch over you and your loved ones.

So, Happy new year, friends. Welcome to 2011.

Simple Side Dishes

More dishes for your holiday meals :)


Cheddar Corn Casserole

Ingredients:

•2 eggs
•1 can cream-style corn, (14 3/4-ounce)
•1 pint sour cream
•1 small box cornbread mix (approx. 8 ounces)
•6 tablespoons melted butter
•1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Preparation:

Grease a 9-inch square baking dish. Beat eggs in a mixing bowl. Stir in cream-style corn and sour cream until well blended. Add salt, cornbread mix and melted butter; mix well. Stir in shredded cheese.

Pour casserole ingredients into prepared baking dish. Bake in a 350° oven for 25 to 30 minutes


Southern Home-styled Cornbread Recipe:

This home-style cornbread recipe is made with fresh cornbread crumbs and optional diced chicken.

Ingredients:

•6 cups crumbled cornbread
•3 cups soft bread crumbs
•4 ounces butter
•2 cups onion, chopped
•2 cups finely chopped celery
•3 to 4 cups chicken broth
•2 cups chicken, diced, optional
•1 heaping tablespoon dried sage, crumbled
•1 1/2 teaspoons dried leaf thyme, crumbled
•1 teaspoon dried marjoram, crumbled
•1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, chopped
•1 teaspoon salt
•1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
•2 eggs, lightly beaten

Preparation:

Heat oven to 400ºF. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cornbread and white bread crumbs. In a saucepan over medium heat, sauté the onion and celery in butter until tender. Do not brown. Combine the sautéed vegetables with the bread mixture. Stir in chicken broth, using enough to moisten. Stir in the diced chicken, if using, and the seasonings and beaten eggs, blending well. Spread the mixture in a large shallow baking or roasting pan measuring about 10" x 15". Bake for 20 to 30 minutes.


Classic Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients:

•1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup
•4 cups cooked green beans
•1/8 teaspoon pepper
•1/2 cup milk
•1 1/3 cups French fried onions

Preparation:

Mix soup, milk and pepper in a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish. Stir in beans and 2/3 cup of the fried onions. Bake for about 25 minutes at 350 degrees F. Top with the remaining 2/3 cup fried onions and bake about 5 more minutes, until onions are lightly browned.
Serves 6.


Here's a variation of a cranberry side.

Cranberry-orange relish

Ingredients:

•2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, rinsed and drained
•1 large orange
•3/4 cup sugar, or to taste

Preparation:

Finely chop cranberries in food processor or put through meat grinder. Peel orange, without too much of the white pith, reserving peel; remove seeds and white membrane. Put orange and orange peel through grinder or chop in food processor. Mix all ingredients together and store in covered container in the refrigerator. Refrigerate several hours before serving.

Favorite Holiday Recipes

My kids have been raiding my cookie dough! Darn it!

See, a few weeks ago, as I was browsing recipes in a magazine, I thought it would be a great idea to stock up cookie dough ahead of holiday time, and assorted ingredients to make other deserts. I mean, don't we (women) go through enough stress during the holidays, sorting out our shopping lists, for groceries and for gift giving; driving through traffic and visiting busy stores, which even inside seem like rush hour at only 3:00 o'clock in the afternoon? With all the cooking we must do to provide for our family, potatoes to peel, basting turkeys, and ensuring there aren't lumps in the gravy, wouldn't it be great when we settle down on a cool evening to pop a tray of cookies already prepared weeks in advance?

Such was my thinking. However, yesterday my daughter Kayla admitted to snagging part of a roll of oatmeal cookie dough and tattled too of how her brother ate some too. Ok, my little snitches... won't you please leave the rest for the family? And don't you know how raw egg in it isn't good for you? I know... cookie dough is tempting to eat. But resist the urge. Please.

Now, I love this holiday time, when baking can be fun and creative. I love sitting cozy on the couch at night, with a cup of hot cocoa or even flavored coffee, and munch down on a tasty treat fresh from the oven. There are so many varieties of breads, cookies, pies and deserts to make, it can get crazy choosing a favorite, but keeping recipes simple and easy are always best.

So I'd like to share a few of my favorites as we wind into Thanksgiving week and into the wonderful time of Christmas. Perhaps even until New Years Eve too, when we all stop to reflect on the past year and what lies ahead. I'm grateful, as always, for the loyal readers who stop often to read my blog and I'm happy to share these delightful recipes with you. If you have a recipe you'd like to share in return, just leave it in the comment. So enjoy, be safe if you travel, and God bless.







Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)


Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and 1/4 tsp salt. In mixer bow beat shortening and butter for 30 seconds; add sugars and beat till fluffy. Add egg, milk, vanilla; beat well. Add dry ingredients into beaten mixture until well combined. Pour in oats and walnuts. Chill dough 2 hours; form 1 inch balls. Dip tops of balls in additional granulated sugar if desired. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Makes 36.


Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup of peanut butter
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla

Stir together flour, soda, and salt. In a mixer bowl beat butter for 30 seconds. add peanut butter and sugars; beat till fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Add dry ingredients to beaten mixture; beat till well combined. Shape dough into one inch balls; roll in granulated sugars if desired. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet; criss-cross with the tines of a fork. Bake at 375 degrees oven about 10 minutes. Cool about 1 minute before removing to a wire rack. Makes 48.




One of my favorite childhood memories is having a cup of hot cinnamon cocoa, carefully simmered on the stove with cinnamon sticks included with the cocoa. As he milk simmers, the sticks get really soft and you can pour it into a cup. It blends very well with the melting marshmallows my mother use to add on top. The cup of hot chocolate was a delightful treat. Now, when I want to take a fast trip down memory lane, this is an easy version:

Take about two cups of milk and simmer it on low on top of the stove in a pan. Add about two to three tablespoons of Hershey's Cocoa and a dash of salt. Stir very well until the cocoa is blended into the milk. Keep stirring so the milk doesn't scald. Add a dash or two of ground Cinnamon. When the milk is heated all the way through, add a dash of vanilla. Pour into your favorite holiday mug, add marshmallows or whip cream to top, and enjoy. It's a great treat to enjoy with your young ones.