Remember this?

Before Christmas, I featured a collection of Christmas cookbooks sponsored by the utility company.  One of the recipes I showed was this one:

So - here it is before going into the oven....

....and here it is just out of the oven.

It was tasty, but I think I'll add some instant minced onion the next time I make it.

The Grits in Casserole will be the next one I try from this book.

Brr!  The temperatures are really, really cold in many parts of the country this morning!  What about where you are?  Keep warm, and stay safe!

That cookbook collection....

....seems to never end around here.:-)  Today's entry features this one:

With a date of 1968, this has been with us for the entire 45 years we have been married.  It just never seemed to receive the attention that my original favorite received - until garden season!

The first planting season after we were married resulted in an over-the-top harvest, and this is where I went for guidelines in preserving that harvest.

These days, we have guidelines that may be a bit more specific in this book:

This is considered to be the authority on preserving.

Perhaps this will still be helpful!  Oven meals!  I remember when that was a real breakthrough for the busy homemaker!  Those criss-cross potatoes in the picture?  They once appeared frequently on our table.  Perhaps it's time to bring back some things from the past! 

Do you have favorites from the past that are still in your meal plans?  

Winter enjoyment....

With the coming of some very cold weather, it may be time to return to some past enjoyment of working jigsaw puzzles.

Sorry for the reflections.  This was the first one that really gave the idea of framing to display them in some way.

This brings a bit of cheer to a bare bathroom wall.

This one is at home with the display of birdhouses.

Framed in an old window, and hanging on a windowless wall.

You've seen this one earlier.  Time for him to head off for his "long winter's nap!"

Do you have a special hobby that is good for cold, winter months?

Twelfth Night....

My wall calendar says tonight is Twelfth Night, and the UMW Prayer Calendar sets tomorrow as Epiphany, the time set to recognize the Magi who came to bring gifts to the baby Jesus.  This Three Kings Day Bread is perfect to serve in honor of this day.

Just before baking....

...and just out of the oven!

The recipe comes from a Weight Watchers Cookbook of several years ago, so point values are outdated.  

Do you have any special traditions for Twelfth Night/Epiphany?

Sunday, January 4, 2015....

From Apples of Gold, compiled by Jo Petty, there are these words:

                            "A little thing is a little thing, 

                              but faithfulness in little things is a great thing."

The Mission Focus from the  2015 United Methodist Women Prayer Calendar is the Alpine Community Center, Alpine, Texas.  

On this day, may you be surrounded by love, joy, and peace.  

Exactly....

Dolly says it right!  My sentiments exactly! 

Have a wonderful week-end!

A Post-Christmas opportunity....

The Husband had tickets for a visit to Dollywood, by way of a benefit aution for a UMC Children's Home, so we headed out after Christmas to take advantage of them.

Unfortunately, it was a very cool, drizzly day - not one for meandering around Dollywood for very long.  We were able, though to enjoy three shows.  

There is an eagle sanctuary in Dollywood, and it would be lovely to have pictures.  The rain kept me from even trying, though I did manage to take the ones below:

The ducks are not bothered by the rain!  

A Nativity display outside the chapel.

An angel choir - all golden!

Dollywood was really decorated nicely for Christmas, and the cinnamon bread is as tasty as we remembered!:-)  

Have you some new plans for 2015?  It is time for me to get started on new plans here!