Week 107, 1-7-2018

Thoughts and Quotes: Winter is nature's way of saying, "Up yours." Robert Byrne

And this year I believe it was shouted. Record low temperatures all over, but my dear brother Bill and nephew Will braved the cold to come for lunch on New Year's Day. So -

Tasting: Black-eyed peas for luck all year, collard greens for money, rice for health, and ham and cornbread because they fit in really well. My lemon custard pudding cake didn't turn out too well, but we ate it anyway.

The recipes are in the drop-down menu above: Black-eyed Peas under Sides; Collard Greens under Vegetables; Cornbread under Bread; and Lemon Pudding Cake under Desserts, Other.

Time once again to: Check your smoke alarm batteries and reseason your little red pan. Preheat the oven to 300F. Spread a light coating of vegetable oil over the inside of the pan. Put in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Wipe out the oil with a paper towel. You're good to go for another six months.

Tasting - Muffin Tin Monday: Breakfast in a Bun but would also make good snack food. If you make them for a lady's brunch, allow two per person.

BREAKFAST IN A BUN

4 pre-cooked sausage patties

3 eggs

1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

4 green onion tops, finely minced

1 8-count tube of crescent rolls dough

Heat the oven to 375°.

Scramble eggs and set aside (leave in skillet so they’ll stay warm).

Microwave the sausage patties on high for 30 seconds and then cut in half.

Separate the crescent rolls and lay one across each of eight muffin cups.

Divide the scrambled eggs evenly into the eight cups.

Sprinkle green onion tops over eggs.

Put a sausage half in each cup and sprinkle with cheese.

Wrap the crescent roll dough around the filling.

Bake 12 minutes.

Brush tops with soft butter while hot.

Tasting - Soup: The perfect solution for the New Year's hambone - split pea soup. It's on the drop-down menu under soup - Wisconsin Split Pea Soup.

Tasting - Salad: This is a recipe you can change around to suit the tastes of your diners. You can even individualize them for each person.

FRUITS OF WINTER SALAD

Romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces

Red apples, unpeeled and cut into bite-size cubes

Pears, peeled (any kind – Anjou, Bartlett, Red), cut into bite-size cubes

Shredded white cheese of choice: Monterey Jack, Swiss, Mozzarella, Havarti (no Pepper Jack)

Craisins

Honey-roasted peanuts

Dressing:

1/2 cup sugar (or 1/3 cup honey or low-calorie sweetener equal to 1/2 cup sugar)

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

2 tsps minced red onion

1 tsp salt

2/3 cup vegetable oil

Blend all but the oil in an electric blender until smooth.

Remove center of lid, and slowly drizzle in the oil while the motor is running on low. Keep motor running until dressing is thickened.

Note: If time permits, mix all but oil and refrigerate a few hours before blending to give the dressing a nice pink tint.

Line each salad plate with lettuce.

Scatter apples and pears over lettuce and drizzle on dressing.

Sprinkle with cheese.

Toss on Craisins and peanuts.

Tip: If you got one of those assortments of cheese, sausages, crackers, etc. for Christmas and you don't want to just pig out, cut up a bunch of veggies and toss them in the skillet, starting with the ones which take longer to cook. Then add slices of sausage (or cut each slice in half if you desire). No spices or herbs needed; just add salt and pepper. So good and you can eat the rainbow on one plate (toss in ripe olives at the end if you have no other blue or purple).

Tissue Box Cards: Guess I really liked this box, because I ended up with enough to make six cards.

And a bookmark.

I made all the envelopes the same.

Next week's tissue box

Tidying: My weekly seven discards. Nelson DeMille is one of my favorite authors, but this was not one of my favorite books. There's a lot of info about the time in Ethiopia after the overthrow of Haile Selassie, but the plot left a lot to be desired. Some nail-biting moments, but not worth the time invested. Just my opinion.

The Pepper and Pals Report: Pepper's eye continues to heal, and I've removed his collar since he has no claws to scratch now. He's a happy boy without that collar. I think it was making him depressed.

Stormy is working on the complete destruction of her caterpillar - won't be long now, for which I'm grateful, as I'm tired of picking up red yarn and pink netting. She knows what the laser is and can get it off the coffee table, but gets frustrated because she can't make it work.

Midnight's kittens are almost as big as she is now. Thankfully, I've been lucky trapping them and each one has been spayed or neutered.

Tidying: I've divided the house into twelve parts. If I clean one area each month, I'll have my deep clean finished by the end of the year and I can start over. Doesn't that sound depressing? Cleaning as a constant companion. My schedule is set up in Excel, so it doesn't copy well, but each item has a little square so I can check it off. I LOVE making lists and checking them off. Makes me feel productive. I started with the living room because it's in the middle of the house with no windows. Who wants to clean windows when the water would freeze before you finished? This doesn't mean that I won't clean a toilet or two as I go along - this is the BIG TIME DEEP CLEAN I'm talking about.

See? No windows.

LIVING ROOM:
1	Clean fan
2	Clear out desk and credenza
3	Clean vent
4	Clean pictures
5	Vacuum/shampoo furniture
6	Clean tabletop items
7	Clean lamps
8	Clean fireplace
9	Clean plants
10	Dust/polish furniture
11	Clean baseboards
12	Vacuum/shampoo carpet
13	Sweep/mop tile