The sun was so slow shining brightly this morning and it looked like another day of rain although they predicted only a very light shower or so. The farmers have been able to get in the harvest the past few days and things seem to be back on track for them. We don’t need any more moisture for a while but then we should be most thankful the weather has been as good as it has been. We haven’t had to put up with hurricanes, earthquakes, fires and all of the other disasters that have been taking place of late. The aftermath of all that will take years of cleanup and rebuilding. I recall many years after the tornado that went through our home place there were still trees to be taken care of and this was minor compared to the hurricane and fire damage we have seen this fall.
We have been waiting for quite a while for the latest great grandchild to arrive. In July there was baby shower for her as it was the only time most of the family would be together. Although we knew it would be a girl we didn’t have any names picked out and if they did they kept it a secret. On Thursday, the 12th she finally made her appearance at six pounds nine ounces and received her name of Elizabeth Mae. This makes nine great-grandchildren for me, six girls and three boys. Elizabeth is the daughter of Jason and Brenna, Rochester, MN and Ruth and Terry are the grandparents. Of course with this their first grandchild they made the trip to Minnesota for the week. Terry is more or less self employed but Ruth had to make more preparations to take a few days off from her job at school.
Leah and Bart came for the weekend and helped with some of the fall work. The garden is mostly cleaned up except for a few tomatoes. Maybe should try to fry some, I have heard they are pretty good with a breaded coating.
Hot Chicken Casserole
3 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
2 cups mayonnaise
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
2 cups cooked rice
1 can (8 ounces) sliced water chestnuts
1 teaspoon grated onion
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Topping:
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 cups crushed cornflakes
Preheat oven to 350º. In a large bowl, combine first eight ingredients. Transfer to a greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle over top. Bake, uncovered, 40-45 minutes or until bubble.
May be frozen up to 3 months. Remove from the freezer 30 minutes before baking (do not thaw). Preheat oven to 350º. Cover with foil and bake 1 1/2 hours. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until bubbly and heat through. 8 servings.
Fluffy Whole Wheat Biscuits
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cold butter, cubed
1 cup milk
In a medium bowl, combine flours, baking powder, sugar, and salt; mix well. Cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in milk just until moistened.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface; knead gently 8 to 10 times. Roll to 3/4 inch thickness, cut with a 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 450º for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm. Yield: l dozen
Apple Slab Pie
2-1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup cold butter, cut into cubes
1 egg, separated
2/3 cup cold water
1 cup cornflakes cereal
8 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced (10 cups)
3/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Preheat oven to 375º. Stir together flour and salt. With a pastry blender or 2 butter knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat egg white in a small bowl until frothy and set aside. Beat egg yolk in a cup; stir in cold water until combined. With a fork, gradually stir egg yolk mixture into flour mixture until dough can be packed into a ball. Divide ball into 2 equal pieces.
On a lightly floured surface, roll half of dough into a 10 x 14 inch rectangle. Fold in half crosswise, transfer to a 9 x 13 inch pan, and unfold, arranging dough to cover pan bottom and pressing it to extend about l inch up sides. Scatter cornflakes evenly over dough, top with apple slices and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.
Roll remaining dough into a 9 x 13 rectangle. Lay dough over filling, tucking edges along pan sides. Brush top with beaten egg white. Bake until top is golden brown and apples are tender, about 1 hour and 5 minutes.
Make Glaze: Beat powdered sugar with milk and almond extract until smooth. Brush over warm crust. Cool completely (about 2 hours) before cutting into 24 pieces. (These can be made up to 2 days ahead and chilled, covered.)
