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Birthday Dinners

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Sandra Pugh

Birthdays at our house when I was growing up were always a real treat. As soon as we were old enough to know what our favorite foods were Mom would fix our favorite things for our birthday dinner.

I can’t remember what I wanted as a young child but by the time I was at least 5th or 6th grade I had developed expensive tastes. My very favorite meal was T-bone steak and baked potato with orange Jell-O salad, spiced peaches and Waldorf Astoria cake.

The salad was made by putting crushed pineapple in the orange Jell-O and letting it set up. Then when that is set a layer of miracle whip, not mayonnaise, is spread on top. Then the whole salad was covered with a layer of shredded cheese. That is still one of my favorite salads.

Mom cooked the steaks in a pan on the stove, we didn’t have a grill then, and even cooked that way they were the best. My Dad hand picked the cow from a local farmer and it was always really good meat.

The spiced peaches were a staple of my birthday dinner and for Christmas or Thanksgiving, if I could convince her to buy them for the other two meals. They seemed to be very expensive back then and she griped about paying the price but they were my special request so that is what I had for my birthday.

She also told me that the red velvet cake was expensive to make but I didn’t care, I loved the red chocolate cake. Now that I know the ingredients for the cake I don’t understand why she thought it was more expensive to make than any other chocolate cake, but she tried to tell me that.

But even though the peaches and the cake and the t-bones were the most expensive birthday dinner she had to make she did that for me because it is what I wanted. Now I know that Dad and Mom both loved t-bones and I am sure they secretly didn’t care what they cost because they got to have them also. And my Dad loved the salad and the cake too.

I can’t remember what Mom fixed for my Dad on his birthday, but I am betting it was t-bones and almost the same meal that she did for me. But his favorite cake was her buttermilk chocolate cake with fluffy white icing.

Now, my sister was a totally different matter when it came to her birthday dinner. We could not have been more different than night and day. When it was time for her birthday which was just before Thanksgiving, she wanted a traditional American meal.

My sister’s choice for her birthday dinner was a hamburger and French fries and an angel food cake. Nothing else, just those three things. She liked the confetti angel food cake, which I never cared for as much as the regular one but we had the confetti one when it was her turn to choose the meal.

Mom never put much icing on the angel food cake, it was just drizzled with icing that ran down the sides and we all liked it like that. My Dad and I were very happy that she didn’t put much icing on our angel food cake because we didn’t like icing on it.

My Dad taught me when I was very young how to eat Angel food cake and I still like it that way today. I usually don’t put any icing on it if I make one now. We usually eat it with fruit over each piece but I can’t resist having a few pieces the way my Dad and I ate it.

Now don’t turn your nose up until you try this, it is good. I slice the cake fairly thin and then spread a sweet margarine on the slice. My favorite is the Margarine they have at Braum’s. It is soft and has a delicate flavor and is just wonderful on the piece of angel food cake.

I had many doubters about the margarine and angel food cake where I work. The women that live there thought I was crazy when I told them about margarine on angel food cake. So one day I baked an Angel food cake at work. I had taken in a tub of the Braum’s margarine with me when I went to work.

That afternoon when the women gathered for coffee I sliced the cake and cut it up into small pieces and took it and the tub of margarine out to the coffee area. There was still a bunch of the women that thought I was crazy but agreed to try it. I think I converted almost 100% of the doubters. They decided that angel food cake with margarine on it was actually pretty good.

So that is what birthday dinners were at our house when I was growing up. This was one of the family traditions that I really enjoyed. We all looked forward to the special foods that we didn’t get very often because they were for our birthday dinners. Well, all but for my sister’s, we did get hamburgers and home made fries now and then.

It made us feel special to be able to choose what foods Mom would prepare for our birthday dinner each year. To contact Sandy: [email protected].

I remember: Aging Well

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We all hope we will live a long time upon this earth…not because we are so special or know all the answers, but since we have taken all this time to learn some of the facts of life, we would like to test them out. For that reason, it is important to “age well!”

At a recent gathering of some of the Schroeder women…three sisters, one in-law and one niece and her sister in-law, we began discussing some of the merits (and downfalls) of aging.

The one thing or malady we all had in common was that of remembering things, especially names of people we come in contact with. All through the afternoon, we would be talking and as we wanted to relate a certain incident or name, our mind would go blank. It would have been embarrassing, had it not been for the fact, we all did it. We did come to the realization that this is one of the maladies of getting older. Along with the relatives, I find this is also true in all the gatherings of us “more mature” people.

It is no wonder that the comment of George Burns, the comedian many years ago made this observation: “By the time you’re eighty, you’ve learned everything. You only have to remember it!” And that seems to be where the rub comes in. Possibly our minds by now are so full, we have to dig around in our brain to come to the right answer.

Perhaps it is a good thing we don’t remember all our life lessons at one time or we would certainly be overwhelmed. They only come to mind when we need them. This is probably God’s way of keeping us sane as we live out the rest of our days, at least on this earth.

Do you remember when you were young, how important it was to do things “right” or “by the book” or by the way the people in your community did? As we get older we understand more and more how we are to do things as God leads us. It isn’t necessarily always the same way. In carrying out the missions God gives us, are we able to follow His leading even though it’s different than we have ever done it before?

Ann Landers, the famous advice columnist  of yesteryear. penned these words “At age 20, we worry about what others think of us, at 40, we don’t care, at 60, we find out they haven’t been thinking of us at all!

Why then, do we put so much stock in what others think of us, when in truth, we are not even on their radar screen? Who should we try to please…God who wants the best for us or man who probably doesn‘t?

When we were young, we wanted to be like everyone else and always wanted to be the smartest, the prettiest, the best at what we did. When we were middle aged, we began to see there are differences and we didn’t have to be all alike. Then, as we are considered “in the older generation,” we know we are here for a purpose because we are still alive.

As we reached the golden years, life begins to look different to each of us. We wonder why we spent so much time doing things like everyone else when we perhaps had a better way of doing it. Why didn’t we follow our instincts if we  thought we had a better way instead of sticking to “this is the only way.”

Why didn’t we voice our thinking when we had a chance or when God gave us a nudge? If anyone ran down our country, why didn’t we speak up? Why didn’t we explain what it was like in the 30s and 40s when life was simple and good because we were doing the things ordained by God and following His leading? Life was much simpler and uncomplicated before the modern day of technology.

We could have followed the advice of our president, Abe Lincoln. “You can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power!” Not many people are able to remain humble, even though it is only God who gives power in the right way.

We should have listened when Lincoln said “America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves!”

No, we probably didn’t do the bad things that are destroying our nation, but we are keeping quiet when they run down our country’s morals, constitution and our God.

How do you suppose God wants us to use the brains that we still have. Should we let them wither away from disuse or can we utilize them until we go to heaven, with even, perhaps, a little  God-given wisdom. Let us age well! It is what God wants us to do!

Chronicles of The Farm Woman: Civil Service

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Farm woman

The legal notice in fine type has been published in many of the Kansas papers recently.  It is a notice published by the Secretary of State regarding the civil service amendment to the constitution.  Little if any discussion of this proposal is seen in the press or heard in conversation on the street.  Yet, it is of importance to every citizen of the state.

As each voter enters the polls in November he or she will be handed a constitutional amendment ballot which will contain the phrase “The Civil Service Amendment to the Constitution.”  It is no political party football.  Each party at various times has endorsed civil service.  Governor Ratner came out for the merit system two years ago and urged the legislators to submit this constitutional amendment to the voters.

The merit system will provide careers for statecraft rather than patronage plums as now exist.  Young men and women will be encouraged to enter government service as well as the professions.  They will prepare for and take examinations in various branches of state government.  They will do this with the assurance that there will be some permanence to their positions as long as each one does his work well.  This should result in better governmental administration.

Women should be especially interested in this constitutional amendment.  They want sound economy in government.  And good government is similar to good housekeeping.  The cook who knows how to bake good biscuits does not waste the flour as does a raw inexperienced girl.  The trained homemaker practices real economy.  The adoption of the civil service amendment will result in more thrift in government.

Statesmanship  as a career will elevate the plane of government and give us greater returns for our tax dollar.  Find out more about this amendment and vote yes in November.

The Covered Dish: Black Bean Salsa

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I feel like I should be singing that ‘Oklahoma’ tune, ‘Oh What a Beautiful Morning’.  It has been beautiful here in the Ozark Mountains for the past few days.  We’ve seen temperatures around 61 degrees, however….like usual in this fine state give it some time and I’m sure we’ll revisit the deep freeze all too soon.

Not only have we enjoyed the nice temperatures, but we’ve had the warmth of the sun, whoopee!

Last week I thought I would be sharing a brand new recipe with you.  But instead I’m going to share a simple recipe that may aid those who are working on a healthier lifestyle for 2015.  It seems like every television stations, magazine and newspaper has diet as their focus story.  For those of us who may be a bit sluggish at the idea of a total change for the New Year this week’s recipe should fill the bill.  Sometimes too much change all at once is hard to handle in whatever mode of transportation it arrives.  As I’ve stated repetitively striving for good balance reaps positive rewards.  When we achieve a more even keel it feels good in our professional lives and on the home front.  Rather like a canoe that’s balanced in the water.  It feels secure, the vessel is navigating smoothly and a goal is in sight.  Oh geez, this is scary it looks like I’m working on one of my motivational presentations!  Here I was talking about a new recipe and I ended up on ‘change’.

Taking a sharp turn towards a healthier lifestyle can be positive and easier to manage when we do keep a sense of balance.  Take the recipe I’m featuring today.  There are a million ways to tweak this dish as you look for something healthy and invigorating at the same time.  I’m always looking for something to take for lunch that contains protein and energy.  Leave the tortilla chips at the store and try this bean salsa served as a salad or as your main entrée.  Grilled chicken or steak would be delicious to accompany.  Instead of additional carbs try grilling or baking squash as another side.  The result will be something filling and energy packed.

When I go out to dine or have dinner at a friend’s home I don’t want to place my dietary needs on someone else unless it’s necessary for medical reasons.  Achieving the balance takes will power in every avenue of our lives.  There are days when we all feel the canoe capsizing and we wonder if we’ll ever get it stabilized.  Having God at the helm and keeping an eye on the final goal will guide us each step of the way.

Sometimes when I pen a column to my readers I’m also preaching to the choir (me in this case).  Try this refreshing salsa; the cilantro will be a natural cleanse and the proteins will energize you for what lies ahead.  By the way, I’ve been doing a great deal of reading lately on about every subject.  It just so happens that I heard a report stating the ‘Dash’ diet as a great compass.  Interestingly I’ve read a good portion of this book and it’s based upon lots of common sense and portion control.  I liked it because of its sensibility!

Have a fantastic week and for those of you in the Kansas area don’t forget I’m doing a Mexican themed Valentine Dinner in McPherson, Kansas.  This will be at the Cook’s Nook on Saturday, the 7th day of February.  New Recipes and fun await, hope to see some of you there.  Simply yours, The Covered Dish.  www.thecovereddish.com

Spicy Black Bean and Corn Salsa

By Sharon Short, Platte City, Missouri

16 ounces canned black beans (drained)

16 ounces corn, frozen or canned corn, (drained)

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, more or less to your taste

1/4 cup chopped green onion

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1/3 cup lime juice

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1/2 cup chopped ripe tomatoes, deseeded

2 avocados chopped

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

In large bowl, combine beans, corn, cilantro, green onion, red onion, lime juice, red wine vinegar, oil and cumin.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Cover and chill at least 2 hours or up to overnight.  Just before serving stir in the tomatoes and avocados.  Serve with tortilla chips of choice.

 

My friend, Sharon, has shared so many good ‘signature’ dishes with me.  Most of us like consistency in our recipes and you’ll find this rings true with Sharon’s Salsa.  I prefer to eat this as a salad keeping the extra calories from chips at bay.  You could also change out the mixture of vegetables to perhaps a black eyed pea.  Any leftovers will hold nicely in the refrigerator.  

Show Your Heart Some Love

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Wellness tips for body, mind and heart

 

(Family Features) Each day offers new opportunities to make choices that impact your health and overall wellness. Though hectic schedules can cause many of us to let healthy habits fall to the wayside, it is important that we give our bodies the attention and care they deserve.

 

Consider these small steps to gradually improve your whole body and heart health, which can help you enjoy a happier, longer life:

 

  • Strike a balance. Take a simpler approach to the traditional idea of “dieting.” Balance calories in versus calories out with a combination of good food choices, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and regular exercise, such as walking or hiking. Incorporate low-calorie, naturally fat-free foods into your diet, such as new Dole Red Grapefruit Sunrise Fruit Bowls, which bring all-natural fruit together with 100 percent juice. They are a great way to start the day or just enjoy as a delicious snack. Grapefruit naturally offers a plentiful source of nutrients, including phosphorus, potassium and vitamins A and C.

 

  • Watch the middle. According to the Mayo Clinic, that extra weight you carry around the mid-section can cause serious health problems, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and certain cancers. Work to keep this common problem area in check by reducing caloric intake and increasing physical activity.

 

  • Skip the stress. While a little stress is part of being human, too much can be taxing on the heart. Find activities that engage your mind and naturally relieve stress such as knitting, crafting or working on a puzzle.

 

  • Dine in the a.m. Don’t let a rushed morning routine get in the way of enjoying a heart-healthy breakfast. A complete morning meal includes a combination of whole grains, protein, and fruits or vegetables. For a convenient, on-the-go option, throw an individually-sealed cup of Dole Red Grapefruit Sunrise in your laptop bag or purse. Each cup contains peak-of-ripeness, wholesome, peeled grapefruit and allows you to enjoy grapefruit all year around. Plus, they’re gluten free, contain no GMOs (genetically modified or engineered ingredients) or artificial sweeteners, and feature BPA-free packaging.

 

  • Drink more water. For your body to function properly, it needs the right amount of hydration. According to the Institute of Medicine, the average required intake for a male is about 13 cups, while a female requires about 9 cups. Switch out sodas and sugary drinks with water to reap its benefits, and to shave off extra “empty” calories that may contribute to weight gain.

 

  • Get routine exams. A yearly doctor’s examination keeps you more informed of your body’s ever-changing status, and it keeps your health care provider in the loop, too. Educate yourself and understand the import numbers for your heart, including blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides.

 

A happy life starts with the right mindset and a few easy routines. For more ways to boost your body’s wellness and healthy snack ideas, visit www.Dole.com.

Source: Dole

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