As I said, the house will be pretty quiet when everyone leaves after our get together on Christmas Day. There isn’t room for everyone to stay with me and most of them are close enough to go to their own homes, however, the Texans and those from Indiana need a bed at least for one or two nights. Mary and Tom accommodated the Texans. Can’t say I’m not used to preparing food for more than myself anymore so a little more thought had to go into meal planning. James and Amy are very handy in the kitchen so it worked out well.
On Monday we had supper together but they were told they could come anytime and most of them did. We had six kinds of soup, salads, fruit cups and candy and cookies for dessert. Since most of them came in the afternoon especially to visit with those we don’t get to see very often the majority were ready to eat early. We tried to stall them off as long as possible and when the last ones arrived the food was on the table in short order. I doubt if the little ones ate anything as they were too busy playing. Because it was so very cold it wasn’t very late when they went home.
I think we are having a hard time adjusting to the cold the last few days as up to now we have had such a nice fall. When winter came it started with a vengeance. The heat bill will surely go up for the next month. Too many days in a row of below zero readings. The furnace is working well and it certainly is a lot easier than having to go to the basement and scoop coal or corn cobs in as we did when we were first married. An extra layer of clothes helps also. Before we had television we may have played some games or did handiwork. I still try to have something like that to do when snowed in or the cold dictates and I would be better off in the comfort of an easy chair and a warm house. I finished the last of the afghans so each of the grandchildren have one. There is definitely more yarn for more and I’m certain I can find a use for it. A couple of jigsaw puzzles may be interesting to try to put together in the quiet moments.
Keep warm and look forward to better days ahead. The days are getting longer already and before long we will start to think of spring. Trusting that each will have a blessed new year and stay warm.
Meatball Green Bean Stroganoff
2 cups uncooked medium egg noodles
1 tablespoon oil
2 cups frozen cut green beans
1/2 cup red bell pepper strips (1 inch long)
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 lb. frozen cooked meatballs
1 (8 oz.) container light sour cream
Cook noodles to desired doneness. Drain; cover to keep warm. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat until hot. Add green beans, bell pepper, onion and garlic; cook and stir 4 to 6 minutes, or until onion is crisp-tender.
Stir in soup, water, Worcestershire sauce and frozen meatballs. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 to 15 minutes or until meatballs are thoroughly heated and green beans are tender, stirring and turning meatballs occasionally. Stir in sour cream. Heat over low heat until warm, stirring occasionally. Add cooked noodles; stir gently to mix. 4 servings.
Chive Smashed Potatoes
4 pounds red potatoes, quartered
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
1 carton (8 ounces) spreadable chive and onion cream cheese
1/2 cup half-and-half cream
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Place potatoes and bullion in a Dutch oven and cover with 8 cups water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and return to pan. Mash potatoes with cream cheese, cream, butter, salt and pepper. No need to peel potatoes. 12 servings
Easy Breakfast Strata
1 pound bulk pork sausage
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 loaf (1 pound) herb or cheese
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded cheese
6 eggs
2 cups 2% milk
1 teaspoons ground mustard
bakery bread, cubed
Cook the sausage, pepper and onion until meat is not longer pink; drain. Place the bread in a greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Top with sausage mixture; sprinkle with cheese. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk and mustard. Pour over top. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350º. Bake the casserole, uncovered, 30-35 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting. 12 servings
