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In This Issue
- A Note From Angela
- Bible Verse
- Holiday Leftover Ideas
- Thanksgiving Countdown
- Monthly To Do List for November
A Note From Angela
Hi Everyone,
Thanksgiving is on its way. Do you have your menu planned out? Are you going to someones house
for dinner, if so do you need to take a dish?
It takes so much stress away if you plan ahead for all the tasks coming up in the next couple
of months.
I hope you find the articles and links in this issue helpful.
Don't forget to be thankful, not only during this season but every day - all year long.
O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.
Psalm 105:1
Below are some links that might interest you. I also have several on the yahoo group links section
and on the website links page. If you have any favorites please email me with them. I would also love to hear about your favorite
recipes, tips and ideas that you use in running your home and family.
Here is a group you might enjoy:
This site also does a magazine paid subscription, which I enjoyed but it has a fr ee sample
issue you can request, www.newharvesthomestead.com
Please forward the newsletter to your family and friends that you think would enjoy it.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Angela
Bible Reading - (Would you talk to Jesus the
same way you do your family and friends or strangers? Just something to think about.)
"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord
my strength and my Redeemer"
Holiday Leftover Ideas
by Rachel Paxton
The holidays are a time for friends and family and good
old-fashioned home cooking.
Who can resist the tempting smells
coming from the kitchen at this most favorite time of year?
Holiday dinners were
among my favorite, most memorable meals as a
child. Our family shared our holiday meals with different
relatives each
year, but wherever we were and whoever we were
with, we always knew to expect good food and enjoyable family
gatherings
that we would remember for months to come.
When I was a child, it was always a tradition in our family to
have turkey
for Thanksgiving and ham for Christmas. We would
also always enjoy mounds of creamy mashed potatoes and gravy,
candied
yams with lots of butter, brown sugar, and melted
marshmallows, and I could always count on sampling my dad's
famous
fruit salad. He would meticulously cut each fruit into
bite-size pieces (apples, oranges, grapes, bananas, and raisins),
and
mix it all together with a generous portion of homemade
whipped cream. Homemade cranberry sauce was also always a
special
holiday treat.
Now that I'm married we have even more family to share our
holiday meals with. With so much family,
though, we rarely get
to host dinner at our house. It's always nice to go to someone
else's house to eat, but then we
don't get any of the leftovers!
We usually end up taking advantage of the holiday sales at the
supermarket though, and
then we can have our own little feast.
I've had a lot of fun over the years devising ways to use up the
leftovers from
our own holiday meals--and I'd like to share some
of my favorite recipes with you.
Turkey and Rice Soup
2
1/2 cups turkey, cooked and diced
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 6-ounce box long-grained rice
2 cups mushrooms,
sliced
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 cup carrots, grated
In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients with 6 cups of
water.
Simmer, covered, until rice is cooked, approximately 30
minutes. Great with fresh bread.
Turkey Spaghetti
8
oz. spaghetti or other pasta
1 can cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup
3/4 c. grated mild cheddar cheese
2
c. leftover cooked, diced turkey
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional - diced celery and/or diced onion to your taste
Prepare
soup as directed. Prepare spaghetti as directed then
drain. Combine spaghetti, soup and remaining ingredients. Stir
until
cheese melts. Serve and enjoy!
Mashed Potatoes and Ham Bake
2 cups mashed potatoes
2 tablespoons mustard
2
cups ham, cubed
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium-sized
bowl, mix mashed
potatoes and mustard. Spread potato mixture in the bottom of a
greased 8-inch square baking pan. Arrange
ham on top of
potatoes. In a small bowl, mix cottage cheese and cheddar
cheese. Spread over ham. Bake until mixture
is heated through,
about 30 minutes.
Chopped Ham Sandwiches
2 lb. leftover ham, chopped into bite-sized pieces
2
tbsp. brown sugar
1 c. ketchup
1/4 c. vinegar
1 c. water
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
Fry ham in a skillet
and sprinkle flour over it. Stir in the
remaining ingredients. Simmer for 1 hour and serve on toast or
hamburger buns.
Makes 15 to 20 sandwiches.
Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom of four.
Download her
free booklet of zucchini recipes from
http://www.creativehomemaking.com/download.shtml. For
recipes, tips to organize your home, home decorating, crafts,
holiday hints, and more,
visit Creative Homemaking at
http://www.creativehomemaking.com
Thanksgiving Countdown
By Brandie Valenzuela
Now is the time to make those preparations for your Thanksgiving
dinner! Here you will find a countdown
that will help you to have
everything ready by the big day!
~Two Weeks Prior To Thanksgiving Or Now!~
1)
Plan your menu. Think about which items that can be
made ahead of time and frozen, and plan these items in
on your "to-do"
list (see #4 below). Have a few items
listed which you don't mind if a guest brings -- delegate
these items when inviting
your guests.
2) Invite your guests and get a firm commitment from
them ASAP.
3) Make your shopping list, but only
after you know
exactly what your guests might be bringing. Don't forget
to include important items such as film, batteries,
and
beverages.
4) Make a "Thanksgiving To-Do" list. List every little
thing that you feel must be done prior to Thanksgiving.
For
example, detail cleaning, washing of serving pieces,
shopping, raking of leaves in yard, cooking, decorating, etc.
5)
Take your "Thanksgiving To-Do" list, and schedule time
for each item. You may wish to complete one or two items
a day
until Turkey Day. Be sure to get the help of your
spouse and children - delegate! Work on your personal
"Thanksgiving
To-Do" list in addition to the items in this
countdown.
6) Order your turkey, if you order yours.
~Ten Days Prior
To Thanksgiving~
1) Take an inventory of your chairs, tables, dishes, flatware,
glassware, and linens. If items
need to be cleaned, do so
now. If you need more chairs, arrange that at this time.
2) Make sure you will have enough
room in your freezer
or refrigerator for the turkey. If you don't have enough room,
plan now to make room by eating
meals made from some
of the items taking up the space.
3) Clean your refrigerator inside and out.
4) Shop for nonperishable
groceries on your shopping
list, or items you know will keep until Thanksgiving.
~One Week Prior To Thanksgiving~
1)
Will children be at your home for Thanksgiving? Search
the web and craft books for easy activities and games that
will
keep the children busy.
2) Also, if you are having young children in your home, do
a safety check of your home. Are
medicines and cleaners
out of reach? Do your outlets have covers? Do you have
breakable items that might be better off
on a higher shelf?
Do a thorough check of each room the children will occupy.
3) Have the children help you with some
simple decorations.
Create turkey's from pinecones, placecards, draw pilgrims for
the refrigerator door, and more.
4)
Re-evalute your "Thanksgiving To-Do" list. Is there many
items you listed, that may be impossible to get done now?
Be
realistic and cross off items that can be skipped.
~Five Days Prior To Thanksgiving~
1) Plan seating arrangements.
2)
To save money on bagged ice, start making your own
ice cubes now, by freezing in trays, and when frozen, dump
them in
a freezer bag.
3) Shop for perishable Thanksgiving items between now
and two days prior to Thanksgiving.
~Two
Days Prior To Thanksgiving~
1) Is there any other dishes or desserts that can still be
prepared ahead of time? If
so, do them today.
2) Fill your salt and pepper shakers and butter dishes.
3) Defrost in the refrigerator any frozen
side dishes.
4) Be sure your home is clean. If any other details need
to be taken care of, do them now. Is your bathroom
clean?
Do you need to clean your front walk?
~Day Before Thanksgiving~
1) Prepare any dishes you couldn't
freeze.
2) Chill beverages in refrigerator.
3) Buy bouquet of flowers for table or countertop, if you
wish.
4)
Do spot clean of rooms that will be used during the
festivities.
5) If you have a formal dining area, set the Thanksgiving
table
now.
~Thanksgiving Day~
1) Finish last minute details: turkey, mashed potatoes, but most of
all, enjoy yourself!
©2000
- Brandie Valenzuela
Brandie Valenzuela is a wife and homeschooling mom of three, who
loves
scrapbooking, cooking, and spending time with her family.
In her spare time, she publishes "HomeMade Living", a popular
weblog
for mothers, at http://homemadeliving.blogspot.com
Monthly To Do List for November
____ November 1 Make a written plan for Thanksgiving, including meal preparation,
table setting, list of anyone bringing a dish to pass, wardrobe, overnight guest needs and/or travel plans.
____
November 2 Conduct a winter outerwear inventory and be sure you stay warm this winter. Get yourself a new pair of gloves
or a warmer coat if necessary.
____ November 3 Rather than standing in line at the post office, try ordering
postage online.
____ November 4 Hang your outdoor holiday lights before the cold weather hits. Light them on
Thanksgiving Day.
____ November 5 Leave a container of hand lotion near the kitchen sink. When you're done washing
or rinsing the dishes, rub a little lotion into your hands to keep them smooth and silky.
____ November 6 Organize
the guest bathroom. Give it a deep cleaning. Then, add some special touches like scented hand soaps, pretty guest towels and
travel-sized toiletries in a basket.
____ November 7 Invite a friend over and make a new recipe together.
____
November 8 Add a radio to your bathroom so you can catch up on the weather, traffic and news while you're putting on your
cosmetics or shaving.
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____ November 9 Keep a small notebook in the area you usually watch TV. Jot down any upcoming shows you may want to
see, recipes from cooking shows or names of products you may wish to get on your next shopping trip.
____ November
10 Donate any purses, except for one or two dressy bags you use on occasion, you haven't used in over a year. Consider
sticking to a simple black purse that goes with anything you're wearing, so you don't end up with an overflow of purses you
rarely use.
____ November 11 Relive the past. Call up some family members who are older than you and ask what
it was like when they went to school, if they played a sport when they were growing up, or if they had a hobby they no longer
do now. It's a great way to catch up and learn something about your family members at the same time.
____ November
12 Assess what you're eating for breakfast. Turn in not-so-heathy choices for healthier alternatives, such as old-fashioned
oatmeal with fresh fruit or a vegetarian omelet.
____ November 13 Hold a movie night with your family and/or
friends. Choose two DVDs or videos, and watch them together while enjoying big bowls of pop corn.
____ November
14 Change the baking soda in your fridge. If you don't have baking soda in your refrigerator, add a box. It absorbs odors
and helps keep everything fresh.
____ November 15 Organize your bedroom dresser. Remove everything inside. One
by one, pick up each article of clothing. If you don't like it, it doesn't fit or is stained or torn, get rid of it. Return
the keepers back into the dresser, keeping similar items together.
____ November 16 Start consolidating all
of your treasured family recipes into one binder, organized by category.
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____ November 17 Do something safety-related in your home, like creating a fire escape plan, checking to be sure electrical
outlets are not overloaded or installing child safety locks on your cabinets.
____ November 18 Repair any screens
on windows or screen doors that are torn.
____ November 19 Vacuum out your vehicle(s).
____ November
20 Inspect and ditch any old nail polish.
____ November 21 Plan some December holiday activities, such as
going to see a holiday play, visiting an ice skating rink or going to a photographer for a family holiday portrait.
____
November 22 Bundle up, go outside and drink a hot cup of hot cocoa under the stars.
____ November 23 Complete
writing out your holiday cards and get them ready for mailing.
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____ November 24 Today is Thanksgiving Day. Have everyone at your celebration announce at least one thing he or she
is thankful for this year.
____ November 25 Have you been holding a grudge because someone said or did something
you didn't like? If so, why not try to make amends before the new year?
____ November 26 Hire a babysitter to
watch your kids, while you do some relaxed holiday shopping.
____ November 27 Stock your bathrooms, or supply
closet, with enough toilet paper and tissues to last you three months.
____ November 28 Next time you go to
the hair dresser, be adventurous and try a new hair style.
____ November 29 Be sure you have blank video tapes
in your house to record television shows or to make copies of footage you took on your camcorder to send to family members.
____
November 30 Make a list of 5 things you'd like to do in December. Then, go right to your calendar and schedule definite
days and times to take care of these items.
by Maria Gracia - Get Organized Now!
Want to get organized? Get your
FREE Get Organized Now! Idea-Pak, filled with tips and ideas to help you organize your home, your office and your life, at
the Get Organized Now! Web site
http://www.getorganizednow.com
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