The election is over. Whether you are upset or happy, we have to accept the results and try to make the best of the decision. If you didn't vote, you have no right to comment on it, one way or the other. We don't know what the future holds for certain, so keep our country always in your prayers. Also, pray for the leaders that they will do what is best for our country.
Today is Veterans Day, a new name but the same original holiday to honor our military. Unless you have been in service, or close to someone who is or has been, there are no ways to really know what they go through for our country. We often only hear the bad things but not always hear the heroic things they do or go through. There is a very good reason military people hate war more than anyone else. They are completely dedicated to help our country and their fellow human beings or they would not be there, especially the career military.
We, as civilians in a country that hasn't seen war on our soil from a foreign power, have no idea of the horrors those who live where the fighting is going on have to live through. Several of my friends in Europe lived through World War II as teenagers, and the scars they suffered never completely leave. Many of our military are never free of the horrors they have lived through and relive in the middle of the night. We think it can never happen here, but we are only fooling ourselves with that thought. With the world as it is now, anything is possible, and our only defense is our military. Those who want to cut it or the support of its members simply don't remember history or understand the lessons we should have learned from it.
It isn't just the men and women in active service who have sacrificed for the rest of the population, it is the spouses, family and, most of all, the children who live with the fact that Dad or Mom can be gone at any time, never to be with them again. When you give that "good-bye kiss" to a spouse who is going into harm's way, you start preparing yourself for anything that could happen.
Those who would harm us will try to take down our country anyway they can, and there are many books written by these terrible folks who have outlined how they can do it from within, especially if we weaken our military. We need to stand strong to uphold those in military service and help them anyway we can. They shouldn't have to fight for health care when they come home disabled, physically or mentally. Their kids shouldn't ever go hungry or need warm coats.
This Veterans Day, we need to really honor all our military in any way we can and give thanks that we have them. We all have a lot for which to be thankful this season, and we can thank our military for making us safe and doing the dangerous work for us. Be sure to tell any person you know that has been or is now in service how much you appreciate them and what they do for us. Stand at attention and put your hand over your heart when the National Anthem is played and the flag is raised and teach your kids to do the same. Shed a tear when you hear "Taps" because it means someone has died protecting you. May God always bless them and their families.
The other day, four pitiful bananas were screaming at me to do something with them. They were past the stage that I like with milk and sugar, and the kids were for sure not going to eat them for snacks. Since I was well trained by my German grandmother, I just couldn't bear to throw them away. My favorite recipe for Banana Bread was hiding somewhere in the piles of recipes and looking for it seemed more than what I was up to, so I got out some of my cookbooks and started looking for something that sounded close to my usual recipe. I didn't find any, so I took the main parts from two of them and added ingredients I thought should be in there. I hurried to write down what I had put in before I forgot, and I hope I haven't forgotten something. Anyway, the recipe I made up is included today. The bread was moist, had good flavor, and looked nice. I ate too much of it.
* * *
BANANA BREAD
One cup butter, room temperature
Two large eggs, room temperature
One-half cup buttermilk
One cup brown sugar, packed
Two cups all-purpose flour
One teaspoon baking soda
Two teaspoons baking powder
One teaspoon salt
One teaspoon cinnamon
One-fourth teaspoon cloves
Three-fourths teaspoon nutmeg
One tablespoon grated orange zest
Four very ripe, mashed bananas (2 1/2 cups, about)
One-teaspoon vanilla extract
One-cup raisins
In an electric mixer, beat together butter, eggs, buttermilk and sugar. Sift dry ingredients together and add, in three batches, alternately with the bananas to the above mixture. Add vanilla extract and grated orange zest with first batch of bananas. Add raisins. Don't over mix. Pour into greased and floured loaf pan and bake in 350-degree oven for one hour. Check for doneness the same as for cake (wooden toothpick). Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
I didn't measure exactly with any of the ingredients, so you can see that you could add about what you wanted to. Chopped nuts would be a nice addition, as would craisins. Just have fun with it.
* * *
PINEAPPLE SALAD
Two (3-oz.) packages lime gelatin
Two cup hot water
One teaspoon unflavored gelatin
Two teaspoons cold water
Two small (3-oz.) packages cream cheese
One small can crushed pineapple, drained
One-cup celery, chopped
One-third cup maraschino cherries, chopped and drained
One cup chopped pecans
One cup heavy whipping cream, whipped until stiff
Mix lime gelatin and hot water. Soften unflavored gelatin in cold water: add to hot gelatin and stir until all is dissolved. Soften cheese and blend in pineapple. Add celery, cherries and pecans. Fold into cooled gelatin and refrigerate until thick, but not firmly jelled. Fold in the whipped cream. Chill until firm. If using a mold, rinse it with cold water before adding gelatin mixture.
* * *
CREOLE GREEN BEANS
Three slices bacon, fried crisp and reserved
One cup thinly sliced onion
Two-thirds cup chopped green pepper
Two-thirds cup diced celery
One-half teaspoon salt
One-fourth teaspoon pepper
Two cups drained and diced canned or fresh tomatoes
Two cups cooked or canned green beans.
Fry bacon until crisp and drain on paper towels. Saute onion, green pepper and celery in bacon drippings until tender. Mix in tomatoes and beans and add salt and pepper. Crumble bacon and add. Cook until beans and tomatoes are heated completely.
* * *
CROCKPOT CHICKEN CACCIATORE
One tablespoon olive oil
Three pounds chicken parts, skinned
Four cloves garlic
Two teaspoons Italian seasoning, crushed
One can (28-oz.) crushed tomatoes in puree
One pound fresh mushrooms, cut in half
Two large onions, chopped
One medium green pepper, cut into large dice
One cup celery, sliced
One-and-a-half cups chicken stock
One-fourth cup cornstarch
One poud fettuccine, cooked and drained
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add chicken. Cook until well browned on all sides. Stir garlic, Italian seasoning, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, pepper, celery and one-cup chicken stock in a 6-quart slow cooker. Ad chicken and turn to coat. Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from cooker and keep warm. Stir cornstarch and remaining stock in a small bowl until mixture is smooth. Stir this mixture into the cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for 10 minutes or until mixture boils and thickens. Place cooked fettuccine in serving bowl. Add chicken pieces on top and pour sauce over all.
