When I was growing up the tradition was that every year you got a new Christmas ornament - it was such fun choosing from the available selection each year, heartbreaking when you could ONLY choose one and joyous to find the "prime" location for the new ornament to be front and center on the tree each season. There were a few years where ornaments were not purchased but made possibly at school, blue birds, campfire girls or FHA.
I wish I had photos of our Christmas tree from when I was younger but to say it was comical is being too simply stated. My brother and I would inevitably put OUR ornaments on our "side" and mom was good about letting us decorate the tree as we saw fit but it never went unnoticed that J's hotwheel ornament somehow invaded my "sanctuary" of treasures. When I left home - my ornaments came with me - as a remembrance of childhood joys and time spent with family, friends and places that I gladly recall as I look at each one whether they get placed on the tree or not - there are several that don't get put on the tree simply because they are "fragile" with age.
I have the same tradition with my kids and it has been interesting to see what has been chosen over the years - there are quite a few Eeyore/Winnie the Pooh ornaments as K's selections and Scooby Doo as D's selection but every now and again the kids surprise me with their choices - K who was still WAY into Eeyore chose a Harry Potter ornament the year the final book came out and D chose a bird series once stuck with it until the end.
But as I sit here writing - the artificial tree has just been put up, ready for its branches to be spread to all their glory in anticipation of the ornaments to come as we decorate it on Thanksgiving day, burnt out lights to be discovered and replaced, my English lace tree skirt spread beneath and the top looking a little lost and bare without the angel who still sits safely in her box and yet as I find myself a little melancholy....
I think about how much my children have grown over the years and those ornaments that bring back so many memories of Christmases past and am overcome by feelings and emotions. The thought that someday soon those ornaments that hold so many memories will be on the kids trees, in their homes, with their "new" families overwhelms me.
Will they hold the same memories of their childhood for them that I remember as is each one is unboxed and placed upon their tree?
While I will ALWAYS have the memory of sweet voices saying "Can I have this one, Mommy, please?" I will admit that as I sit looking at my bare tree, anxiously awaiting its adornment - I am dreading the thought of the bare spaces left behind when those chosen treasured ornaments go to their next "home" but anxiously awaiting the stories that I will get to hear as a grandma about why a particular ornament was chosen and get quite emotional at the thought that someday I will get to hear "Can I have this one, Grandma, please?" Because as we all know - Life moves on.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Lasagna Chicken Rolls - serves 6
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup cottage cheese
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
1 teaspoon basil leaves
6 lasagna noodles
2 cups prepared pasta sauce
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
In a heavy skillet, saute onion in olive oil until tender and taranslucent. Remove form heat and ocol for 15 minutes. In a medium bowl, combine next 6 ingredients. Mix well until blended and creamy, then stir in onion, chicken and basil.
Slightly undercook lasagna noodles. Drain and rinse with cool water. Place noodles in a single layer on a clean kitchen towel. Spread each cooked noodle with chicken mixture and roll up starting on a short end.Place 1/2 cup pasta sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 9 square baking dish. Place filled rolls over pasta sauce. Pour remaining sauce over all. Cool in refrigerator, then wrap, seal and label with recipe title and cooking instructions.
Place mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese in a small Ziploc and attach to dish. Wrap and freeze.
To serve: Thaw casserole in refrigerator overnight. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 40 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Sprinkle cheese over all and bake 5 - 10 minutes longer or until cheese begins to brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
If serving immediately after preparing: sprinkle reserved cheese over casserole and bake at 350 degrees for 40 - 45 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is golden brown.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup cottage cheese
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
1 teaspoon basil leaves
6 lasagna noodles
2 cups prepared pasta sauce
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
In a heavy skillet, saute onion in olive oil until tender and taranslucent. Remove form heat and ocol for 15 minutes. In a medium bowl, combine next 6 ingredients. Mix well until blended and creamy, then stir in onion, chicken and basil.
Slightly undercook lasagna noodles. Drain and rinse with cool water. Place noodles in a single layer on a clean kitchen towel. Spread each cooked noodle with chicken mixture and roll up starting on a short end.Place 1/2 cup pasta sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 9 square baking dish. Place filled rolls over pasta sauce. Pour remaining sauce over all. Cool in refrigerator, then wrap, seal and label with recipe title and cooking instructions.
Place mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese in a small Ziploc and attach to dish. Wrap and freeze.
To serve: Thaw casserole in refrigerator overnight. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 40 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Sprinkle cheese over all and bake 5 - 10 minutes longer or until cheese begins to brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
If serving immediately after preparing: sprinkle reserved cheese over casserole and bake at 350 degrees for 40 - 45 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is golden brown.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Potluck Recipe
Today I am going to a potluck and thought I would share the recipe since it is also one of our favorite once a month cooking (oamc) recipes!
Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole - serves 6
1 can cooked chicken, rinsed and drained
4 cups cooked broccoli
1 can cream of chicken soup (or any cream of ... we have tried several varieties)
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (recipe called for 1/2 cup but we like more)
bread crumbs (plain is fine but we like Italian seasoned)
Combine soup, mayonnaise, lemon juice and curry powder. Spread broccoli in a greased 2 qt. baking dish. Evenly distribute chicken over broccoli and cover with soup mixture. Top with cheese. Sprinkle lightly with bread crumbs. Bake 45 - 60 minutes at 350 degrees or until heated throughout.
To make "kit": Combine chicken, soup, mayonnaise, lemon juice, curry powder and mix well. Spoon into qt. size Ziploc. Measure cheese and put into small ziploc. I use frozen broccoli so I will also measure this out into a ziploc as well. Label a gallon sized ziploc with recipe name and layering and baking directions . Place the smaller ziplocs into a gallon ziploc to create a "kit". You could also measure whatever amount of breadcrumbs you think you might like on top (I generally use bewteen 1/8 - 1/4 cup depending on my mood) and include this in your "kit".
When ready to use your "kit" - thaw it overnight in the refrigerator. Layer cooked broccoli, chicken/soup mixture, cheese and breadcrumbs. Bake for 45 - 60 minutes at 350 degrees or until hot throughout.
I know some of you will feel that using so many smaller baggies may be wasteful - however...
I label my broccoli, cheese and breadcrumb bags as well as my gallon bag for reuse - so I am ONLY throwing away the soup/chicken mixture bag. After I have put the recipe together I put the smaller bags back into the gallon bag and throw it back into the freezer. It helps me know what recipes my family has eaten and what recipes I need to make again when I start my next cooking session.
Hopefully this all makes sense but if you have any questions feel free to ask!
Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole - serves 6
1 can cooked chicken, rinsed and drained
4 cups cooked broccoli
1 can cream of chicken soup (or any cream of ... we have tried several varieties)
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (recipe called for 1/2 cup but we like more)
bread crumbs (plain is fine but we like Italian seasoned)
Combine soup, mayonnaise, lemon juice and curry powder. Spread broccoli in a greased 2 qt. baking dish. Evenly distribute chicken over broccoli and cover with soup mixture. Top with cheese. Sprinkle lightly with bread crumbs. Bake 45 - 60 minutes at 350 degrees or until heated throughout.
To make "kit": Combine chicken, soup, mayonnaise, lemon juice, curry powder and mix well. Spoon into qt. size Ziploc. Measure cheese and put into small ziploc. I use frozen broccoli so I will also measure this out into a ziploc as well. Label a gallon sized ziploc with recipe name and layering and baking directions . Place the smaller ziplocs into a gallon ziploc to create a "kit". You could also measure whatever amount of breadcrumbs you think you might like on top (I generally use bewteen 1/8 - 1/4 cup depending on my mood) and include this in your "kit".
When ready to use your "kit" - thaw it overnight in the refrigerator. Layer cooked broccoli, chicken/soup mixture, cheese and breadcrumbs. Bake for 45 - 60 minutes at 350 degrees or until hot throughout.
I know some of you will feel that using so many smaller baggies may be wasteful - however...
I label my broccoli, cheese and breadcrumb bags as well as my gallon bag for reuse - so I am ONLY throwing away the soup/chicken mixture bag. After I have put the recipe together I put the smaller bags back into the gallon bag and throw it back into the freezer. It helps me know what recipes my family has eaten and what recipes I need to make again when I start my next cooking session.
Hopefully this all makes sense but if you have any questions feel free to ask!
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