I think it will be a while before I attempt to sew any more Barbie doll clothes. I made several for Christmas gifts and now I understand why the price of them at vendor shows is possibly not out of line, at least if you want to get anything for your time. Maybe a stormy day when you are shut in with nothing pressing to do other than trying to keep warm is a better time to prepare for birthdays and next year. The kids seem to grow up much faster these days and they won’t be playing with dolls as long as we did or even our children did. Too many places to go and things to do.
A picture and message from Ruth on Friday morning to show they had snow in Texas. The last time they had snow a lady called the school to get the kids out of the snow as she was certain they would get sick from the cold. It was hard to convince her what fun the kids were having.
I certainly miss not having a dime store in town anymore. There were many times I had to quickly go uptown to buy a spool of thread or a piece of fabric, a skein of yarn to finish up a project quite often trying to use up the yarn already in my stash or a gift or many other things sold in the usual store. We never appreciate what we have until it is no longer available. I realize not many people sew anymore but those of us that do need the supplies necessary whether it is to replace a zipper or repair a seam. Granted we seldom so-called sew from “scratch” however there is always repair to be done.
Lots of events to attend between now and the New Year. On Saturday I attended the play at Edgerton as both Brinna and Jaden were in it. Holiday open houses, concerts, Christmas parties, etc. several times a week. Hopefully, the weather cooperates.
We were discussing bread pudding the other day and if we ate it in our younger years. If I recall it was a dessert made when the bread had lost its freshness and the ingredients were readily available such as milk and eggs which were produced on the farm and raisins that didn’t need refrigeration and lasted a long time. Didn’t really cost much to make and during the depression days, we certainly used what we had.
Baked Mushroom Chicken
4 boneless skinless chicken breast
halves, (1 pound)
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Flatten each chicken breast half to 1/4 inch thickness. Place flour in a resealable plastic bag; add chicken, a few pieces at a time. Seal and shake to coat.
In a large skillet, brown chicken in 2 tablespoons butter on both sides. Transfer to a greased 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish. In the same skillet, saute mushrooms in the remaining butter until tender. Add the broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; cook for 5 minutes or until liquid is reduced to 1/2 cups. Spoon over chicken. Bake, uncovered, at 375º for 15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Sprinkle with cheeses and green onions. Bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.
Easy Lasagna
1 pound ground beef
1teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 8 ounce package lasagna noodles
2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup tomato catsup
3/4 pound grated mozzarella cheese
3/4 pound sharp cheddar cheese
Cook noodles in boiling salted water until tender.
Brown ground beef with salts. Add tomato sauce, catsup and sugar. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
In a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, place a layer of cooked noodles, a layer of sauce and a layer of cheddar cheese. Make 3 layers of noodles, sauce and cheese, ending with mozzarella cheese on top.
Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Serves 10-12.
Bread Pudding
1 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup powdered milk
2 eggs, well beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup melted margarine
1 pound loaf (day old) bread
Tear bread into pieces. Blend together water and powdered milk. Add eggs. Blend salt, vanilla and sugar together and mix with first mixture. Add raisins and melted margarine to mixtures. Mix torn bread into liquid mixture until lightly moistened. Don’t overbeat mixture. Bake at 350º. in well greased 8x8x2 inch pan until brown. Test by sticking toothpick in center. If it comes out clean, pudding is done. Drizzle following sauce over warm bread pudding.
Bread pudding sauce:
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup powdered milk
1/3 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 drops yellow food coloring
Mix sugar, cornstarch, powdered milk and salt. Blend in 1/2 cup water, stirring until smooth. Add vanilla and food coloring mixed in remaining 1 cup water. Cook over medium heat until thickened. Drizzle over warm bread pudding.
