THANKSGIVING 2010

THANKSGIVING…………

Another year has flown by and here we are planning Family Get Togethers and meals, gifts and fun. I always advise people to plan ahead and have time to be with the guests and family. Do not go overboard and have so much to do, that you end up exhausted. We live in a world where we can plan ahead, freeze some items and store carefully in the refrigerator.

Plan the areas you will use, tables, chairs, outdoor furniture, umbrellas and plates, glasses, cutlery and cloths . Buy a few seasonal pot plants that can serve as décor and then be planted into the garden afterwards. Buy all the goodies, candies, throw away dishes, gift wrappings, bows, cards and gifts now. Have abundant extras like a few toothbrushes, toothpaste and shampoos, shower caps and sun tan items for stay over guests. You need to check the First Aid Kit for minor  scratches and injuries.

Make sure the cameras  are ready...................

Look at my  Sane and Sensible article  of November 21, 2009 for lots of recipes and ideas.

VEGETABLES TRAY FOR THANKSGIVING.

This can be made two days ahead.

Buy beets, sweet potatoes, yams, carrots, cauliflower, onions, garlic  eggplants. potatoes zucchinis,pumpkin and mushrooms. For flavors use parsley, rosemary, basil, tarragon and mint leaves. Where possible use fresh vegetables and herbs.

I wash the vegetables. The hard ones like beets, sweet potatoes and potatoes are steamed for five to eight minutes and then prepared for baking. Garlic are cut in half and sprinkled with olive oil for baking. The onions are peeled and baked whole Pumpkin, egg plant and zucchinis are sliced carefully and mushrooms are placed in a   separate dish, spiced and sprinkled with olive oil and a little juice of onions and garlic.

Arrange all the vegetables on a large baking tray that has   been wiped with olive oil. Sprinkle the rosemary on the potatoes, a little cinnamon on the sweet potatoes and pumpkin, some tarragon on the zucchinis and  use salt and pepper, vegetable salt and sprinkled dried onions on the other vegetables. The cauliflower can be steamed and then put on the tray with a little grated cheese and  chopped almonds. 
Bake in a medium oven for forty minutes, but baste with the olive oil a few times.  Cool and refrigerate. You can warm these up to serve on Thanks giving day.

FABULOUS SALAD WITH BEANS, ZUCCHINI AND FETA CHEESE.

 Buy three cups of green   beans and cut up into  finger size pieces. Steam over water with a tea bag in it. Cut the zucchinis into angles pieces and steam as well Place these into an oven dish and cover with chopped parsley and some mint leaves. Sprinkle over a dressing of lemon juice, olive oil and mixed herbs. Grate a cup of Feta cheese over this and serve in  a large bowl.  You can add one or two nasturtium flowers as décor or a few chopped hazel nuts.

COOKED SWEET POTATOES AND SLICES OF CHEESE AND BREAD STICKS.

Cook five sweet potatoes and cut into finger shaped pieces. Cool Arrange on  a flat platter. Buy a hard yellow cheese and arrange pieces of even sizes in rows with alternating bread sticks. Serve with a dressing of half a cup of orange juice and half a cup of techina, blended with a little honey and pour over and serve.

MUSHROOMS BAKED WITH BABY ONIONS AND  GARLIC.

Prepare wiped mushrooms, about thirty button mushrooms. You can use a variety of mixed mushrooms as well. Place them in an oiled oven dish.  Peel ten to fifteen baby onions and add them Use garlic cut in half and a few slices of kohlrabi. Mix in some chopped parsley and grated ginger. Add salt and pepper according to taste and sprinkle olive oil over all the vegetables. Cover and bake for twenty five minutes in a medium oven. Check and if the vegetables are soft, uncover and let it stand for a few minutes in the oven.

Serve this on a bed of mashed potatoes with lots of chopped parsley as décor. For a quick way, just split two French loaves and fill with the mushroom  mix

It all works as long as you remain smiling and relaxed

 Have a  HAPPY THANKSGIVING………………………………………………

LOVE AND LIGHT  

RONA

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LEISURE

LEISURE.

What is this life, if full of care,

We have no time to stop and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs

And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,

Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,

Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty’s glance,

And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can

Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and care.

                             William H. Davies.

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